Looking Back to Move Forward
by ZacFan18
Summary: Troy and Gabriella have been friends for 11 years, best friends. They've even been more, but circumstances years ago led them to end their romance and revert back to just being friends. But will one special weekend of reminiscing about their lives and t
1. Happy Birthday!

**Looking Back to Move Forward  
**

SUMMARY: Troy and Gabriella have been friends for 11 years, best friends. They've even been more, but circumstances years ago led them to end their romance and revert back to just being friends. But will one special weekend of reminiscing about their lives and the memories they've shared remind them of the one thing that they're both missing? M for adult situations/subject matter and sexual references/depictions.

DISCLAIMER: I do not own these wonderful characters...I just love them like the rest of you. :-)

AUTHOR'S NOTE: This first chapter is pretty short, as it is just meant to be the lead in to the story. There will definitely be longer chapters and there is plenty of sappy, fluffy, lovey Troyella throughout the story, and later, more steamy Troyella. Much of this story is already written, so the chapters should come pretty steadily. Hope you will enjoy this story as I have enjoyed writing it. And, a very special thanks to Dee for encouraging me to write something and dealing with every annoying question I've asked her since. ;-) Dee (Dee31, that is) is awesome! Go read her stuff if you haven't. Okay, peace, all!

Chapter 1 – Happy Birthday!

Making their way out to their cars, the group of friends continued to laugh at the memory of their waiter's face when they announced that he would make a perfect addition to Gabriella's "list of conquests." It was all in good fun of course. The waiter had been eyeing her up inappropriately throughout the meal and the gang, Sharpay in particular, just thought it would serve him right to turn the tables on him. The uncomfortable look on his face and the abruptness with which he'd seen to their bill was priceless. Now, out in the parking lot, they began to say their goodnights.

"Don't get older before I see you again," Sharpay ribbed. "I don't want it to seem like I'm out shopping with my mother!"

"Oh, ha, ha, Sharpay. Your birthday's in three months, you just wait," Gabriella poked right back.

"Alright, ladies, hush. I'm older than both of you...and obviously more mature too," Taylor joined in. "Seriously, Gabs, Happy 25th!"

"Yeah, Gabs, here's to another year of you," Kelsi sweetly added.

"Thanks Kelsi and Taylor, my dear sweet friends..." Sharpay huffed at this. "And, you too Sharpay," Gabriella grinned. "Who else is going to make sure I'm still dressing fashionably in my old age?"

"Indeed," Sharpay quickly replied with a smirk.

All four women laughed and then shared hugs goodbye, making sincere promises to all get together again soon.

The men in the group just stood back observing the women in their lives before stepping up to give their own well wishes to Gabriella.

"Night Gabs. Hope you enjoy those special birthday cupcakes I baked just for you. Don't let Bolton over there eat 'em all," Zeke said with a grin.

"Hey! I would never eat them all...only whatever Gabi doesn't touch by midnight," Troy said with a chuckle.

This made Gabriella giggle and Zeke roll his eyes as she hugged him goodbye and thanked him sincerely for his thoughtfulness, before watching him head off to meet Sharpay at their car.

Chad approached Gabriella next and swooped her into his arms. "You are more of a joy to know each year, Gabs."

"What? Danforth, are you actually getting sappy?!" Gabriella teased.

"I blame you girls for making us watch all that 'I'll never let go, Jack' crap over the years," Chad defended before getting a smack on the arm from Taylor. "You lunkhead! You know you sniffled right along with us."

Troy and Jason looked pointedly at Chad and nodded, saying "It's true man...you pretty much did," enjoying their friend's discomfort, as they saw the crimson blush rising higher and higher on his face.

"Ahem...Taylor, we should go...night Gabs, traitors," Chad mumbled, shooting a glare towards Troy and Jason before pulling Taylor off toward their car and driving off.

Jason walked over to Gabriella next, with a slightly confused look on his face. "So, wait...today's your birthday? Didn't we just celebrate that?"

"Uh, yeah genious...last year," Kelsi deadpanned before shrugging and shooting an apologetic look at Gabriella, who just giggled.

"It's okay, Jason. I'm fine with not remembering this birthday occurred. We'll stick with what we celebrated last year...yeah, 24 sounds good," Gabriella joked.

"Don't be silly. Now, your car insurance rates will go down and you can more easily rent a car. Oh, and you can run for President," Troy stated matter-of-factly.

"Well, gee, thanks Troy. That makes it so much more appealing then," Gabriella said with a roll of her eyes, adding "and, you should've paid more attention back in Civics class. I'd have to be 35 to run for President, but thanks for the confidence anyway."

Troy just put his hands up in the air in surrender and grinned adorably at her.

Kelsi and Jason just watched this exchange with smiles on their faces, always enjoying the good-natured bantering that took place between their two friends. "Well, anyway, Gabs, Happy Birthday, again," Jason said quietly before giving Gabriella a quick hug before he and Kelsi also made their departure from the parking lot.

Troy looked over at Gabriella and gave her a quick wink before asking "so, would the birthday girl like a piggy back ride to the car?" This caused Gabriella to laugh and give him a look of disbelief. "What? You still weigh about the same thing you did when I used to give you piggy back rides back in junior high," Troy remarked. Gabriella still gave him an amused but not entirely convinced look. "Unless you really are just a crusty, old lady now..." Troy challenged. That did it. Gabriella narrowed her eyes at him before moving behind him and hopping up onto his back. "Mmmph...perhaps you do weigh a bit more," Troy teased, which earned him a smack on the chest from Gabriella which just made him chuckle. Then, the two happily made their way over to Troy's car, since he had driven them both there.

Once at the car, Troy let go of Gabriella's legs so that she could slide down off his back and then he opened the passenger side door for her, seeing her safely seated and shutting the door before making his way over to the driver's side. Troy pulled out of the parking lot and onto the highway and they drove in comfortable silence for a few minutes.

"Thanks for driving tonight, Troy."

"No problem. Thanks for letting me crash at the cabin."

"Sure. Anytime. Besides, I'm looking forward to catching up...it's been too long."

"I know. I've missed you."

"Well, naturally," Gabriella responded cheekily earning a good-natured eye roll from Troy.

"I still can't believe the cabin's actually yours now."

"Yeah...well, grandpa knew how much I always loved coming there to just get my mind off things and relax. He said he wanted to leave me not just a piece of real estate or a financial asset, but a gift of peace of mind for years to come," Gabriella smiled softly remembering her grandfather who had passed away earlier that year. She and he had always been close and he had always loved all of her friends, especially Troy.

"He was a great man, Ella," Troy said, using his special nickname for her that he mostly used when it was just the two of them. "And he was right to leave you the cabin. You have always been happiest there." Troy smiled over at Gabriella as he gently reached over and squeezed her left hand.

"Thanks, Troy. I know he'd be glad you were getting to come spend some time out there again too."

The conversation continued with funny and happy memories of times spent with Gabriella's grandfather over the years. Before they knew it, Troy was pulling into the unpaved driveway next to the cabin. He opened Gabriella's door for her and helped her gather the presents she'd received from their friends, including the container of cupcakes from Zeke, before following her to the door and entering the cabin. Troy took a moment from the doorway to just breathe in the fresh cedar scent of the cabin before shutting the door and joining Gabriella in the kitchen, where she was just opening the box of cupcakes and peeking inside. Troy grinned as she daintily picked one up that appeared to be chocolate with chocolate icing and licked a little bit of the icing before taking a bite of the cupcake itself. Gabriella caught him looking at her and gave a small, sheepish smile before holding out another chocolate cupcake and motioning for him to come take it. Giving her a mischievous look, he approached her and instead bent his head down taking a huge bite of the cupcake, while making a fake growling noise as though he were a ravenous animal planning to eat her fingers in the process.

"You never change, Bolton."

Troy raised an eyebrow slightly at this before Gabriella added "And, that's a good thing," before holding up the remainder of the cupcake to his mouth for him to take and smiling up at him softly.

They both finished chewing and Gabriella moved to grab a bottle of wine from the rack and two glasses. Troy saw the corkscrew sitting on the counter and picked it up, taking the bottle from Gabriella and opening it before pouring them each a glass. They headed into the living room, settling down onto the couch.

"So, Troy. How is my globe-trotting friend?"

"Good, Ella. Glad to be back home though. While I enjoy every new place I visit, I always enjoy coming back here."

"Have you spoken to Lindsay since you've been back?"

"Nah. I really think it was all for the best, us breaking things off. She never understood. You were right, Ella. I had to follow my dream or I'd never be happy...always wondering."

"So, it really was the dream experience you envisioned?"

"Yeah, definitely. Playing on the World Basketball Team and traveling through all those countries. It was amazing. And, it wasn't just the playing. The work the team did within the various villages we visited...seeing the kids get some joy from the simple game we all love...it was just...I don't know..."

"The experience of a lifetime?" Gabriella supplied, glad to witness the awed glaze of remembrance showing in Troy's eyes.

Troy nodded, blinking and re-focusing on his friend. "Anyway, I knew you'd understand, Ella. You've always understood my passion for basketball and for helping kids...you've always understood, well, me."

"Ditto, Bolton. I'm so glad it was all you hoped it would be."

"I did miss you though. So, what happened with Brent? I noticed his absence this evening."

"Ah, you're a sharp one there, Troy," Gabriella teased, taking a sip of her wine before continuing. "Ah, you know...I just have no luck. He spent more time getting ready than I did. He laughed really loudly at his own horrible jokes. And, most importantly, he didn't pass the mom test."

"Oh no, kiss of death," Troy chuckled thinking of how Gabriella's mom, Maria, measured your worth right away by arranging for a situation in which "a properly raised young gentleman", as she so eloquently put it, could not resist offering assistance to her or to her daughter. In Brent's case, neither a dropped carton of eggs nor a struggling Gabriella with a tough jar of pickles propelled Brent to offer his aide. In addition, Maria noted how he failed to open doors for her daughter or pay her any compliments or really even pay much attention whenever she was speaking. Essentially, not a mother's dream for her only child.

"Well, that is good luck then for the properly raised young gentleman you're meant to be with eventually," Troy said smoothly while putting air quotes around Maria's favorite phrase.

"Sure. Whatever you say, Troy."

Troy noted the slight frown on Gabriella's face even though she was trying to smile and shrug it off. He decided it was time to bring back her genuine smile and thus, got up, holding up his forefinger to signal that Gabriella should wait right there, to go grab the present he had left in the guest room. He returned carrying a flat square box, wrapped in a lavender foil paper with a purple ribbon.

"Wow, Bolton, went all out with the wrapping I see."

"But of course, Ella. I know your favorite color...and, um, how to coax my mom into wrapping things for me," Troy remarked with a smirk.

"At least you admit it," Gabriella replied, smirking back at him.

"Well, open it, Ella. I might not have done the wrapping, but surprisingly enough, I did do all the work on what's inside."

"Hmmm...I'm intrigued," said Gabriella, as she slowly peeled off the wrapping paper, her focus on unveiling her present only interrupted briefly as she glanced up to see the anticipation in Troy's bright blue eyes as he eagerly awaited her reaction to his present…


	2. Beginnings

**Looking Back to Move Forward  
**

SUMMARY: Troy and Gabriella have been friends for 11 years, best friends. They've even been more, but circumstances years ago led them to end their romance and revert back to just being friends. But will one special weekend of reminiscing about their lives and the memories they've shared remind them of the one thing that they're both missing? M for adult situations/subject matter and sexual references/depictions.

DISCLAIMER: I do not own these wonderful characters...I just love them like the rest of you. :-)

AUTHOR'S NOTE: Wow! First of all, thanks to all who have reviewed, added this story to their story alerts, added me to their author alerts, and/or added this story to their favorites! I so appreciate it as I didn't know what to expect in terms of whether or not anyone would even be reading this at all. LOL! So, yay! Because I was pleasantly surprised and thus motivated, here's chapter 2. It'll start to give you some background on their relationship. Hope you like it and look for chapter 3 soon...by the way, chapter 3 is one of my faves...really speaks to my hopeless romantic's soul. :-) So, look for that soon!

P.S. I wrote the skateboard stuff weeks ago, so now it just seems amusing and nicely timed that Zac should be seen out and about with his these past few days. It was very thoughtful of him to do that just to promote this chapter, huh? ;-)

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Chapter 2 - Beginnings

Carefully setting the pretty lavender wrapping paper and purple ribbon aside, Gabriella opened the box she had uncovered and found a black leather album inside. Gabriella looked into Troy's eyes questioningly before pulling the album from the box and opening it to reveal the first page, which had a photo of the two of them taken at Taylor and Chad's wedding last year and a message written from Troy, which read:

'To Ella...who is always the keeper of memories for everyone else. May this album serve as a small token of all the great memories we have shared and also prove that I have paid attention to all those scrapbooks you've made over the years. Be kind...I'm not as awesome as you. Happy 25th Birthday! Love, Troy'

Gabriella glanced back up at Troy, eyes sparkling with emotion at his thoughtful gift, before he reached over and turned the page for her to reveal the first layout.

"Oh, my gosh...wow, that was a frizzy hair faze," Gabriella exclaimed, looking at her 14-year-old self in a white karate suit, with massive long curls jutting out of a ponytail, marching down the street next to Troy, as part of a parade exhibition.

"Yes, well, it wasn't your hair that was scary then," Troy joked.

"At least you admit I was the superior karate student...I was always able to kick your butt, Bolton."

"Yeah, well, I hadn't had my growth spurt yet."

"Uh, huh...likely story. Although, you might have been more scared of Rachel than me," Gabriella said, giggling a little as she watched the brief look of horror pass over Troy's face.

The two started to laugh in earnest with each other remembering how they had first met...

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_"Ooh...look at him, Gabs. He's pretty cute."_

_"Rachel, we're here to learn karate, not meet guys."_

_"Speak for yourself, Gabs, speak for yourself," Rachel grinned back._

_"Okay, behave now," Gabs replied, giving her friend an eye roll followed by a smile, as she saw the instructor approaching them. _

_"Hello, ladies. Welcome to Sun Studio's beginner karate class. I'm Mr. Albertson, though you can call me Mr. A. Come on in. Troy, can you come over here please?" he said, motioning to the cute boy Rachel had pointed out only moments earlier. Gabriella noticed her friend putting on her most flirtatious smile as she excitedly nudged Gabriella in the ribs with her elbow. Gabriella couldn't help but notice that this "Troy" was indeed attractive, as she looked over and met his gorgeous, deep blue eyes with her own deep, chocolate brown before quickly glancing away again. _

_"Troy, I'd like you to meet Gabriella Montez and Rachel Martin. They are joining our class." Troy nodded and offered a welcoming "hello." _

_"Ladies, this is Troy Bolton, one of our star pupils." The girls nodded and offered their own "hello's." _

_"Troy, could you show Gabriella and Rachel our basic warm-up drills and then get them up to speed on the form we've started working on for the parade?"_

_"Sure thing, Mr. A.," he replied before the instructor walked back over to continue monitoring the class. Troy turned to the girls. "Why don't we go into the back gym over here and get started," he said, gesturing to a smaller room across the hall, before leading the girls that way. _

_"So, Troy, how long have you been in the class," Rached purred._

_"Um, about two months."_

_"Wow! And you're already a star pupil! You must have skills," Rachel gushed._

_Gabriella just watched with amusement as her friend tried to work her magic. She noticed that Troy didn't look entirely comfortable with it, as he looked down at the floor while scratching the back of his neck a bit._

_"Uh, not really. I just enjoy it a lot and I guess I've been able to pick it up fairly quickly."_

_"Well, we are eager to learn from the master," Rachel remarked, batting her eyelashes._

_"Ehrm, what I think Rachel means is um, what do you want us to do to get started, Troy?" Gabriella jumped in, saving Troy from further simpering from her friend. _

_He looked up, tilted his head, sending his floppy hair off to the side a bit, and smiled gratefully at her before proceeding to show the girls some basic punches and kicks and leading them through a warm-up. Then, he moved on, showing them the moves in the form that the class was currently working on. Gabriella picked up the moves pretty quickly, impressing Troy with her attentiveness and graceful but forceful movements. Rachel, though less impressive, did seem to be making an effort to learn the moves, in between winks and wide smiles directed Troy's way.  
_

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"Man, she was persistent," Troy groaned in remembrance.

"Yeah, well, it's your own fault for being so damn enticing," Gabriella choked out between giggles.

Troy shot her a glare, before saying "Well, you had to put up with Patrick and his undying love for you."

"Not undying, Troy. I'm pretty sure it died the day I kicked him in the groin and he'd forgotten to wear his cup," Gabriella remarked dryly, sending Troy into his own fit of laughter at the memory.

"At least when we sparred, you only pinned me to the ground. I feel bad for poor Patrick," Troy teased.

"You should feel bad for yourself. I took your #1 spot in that class within a month."

Troy clutched at his heart in mock pain. "Oh, how you do wound me, Ella!" he exclaimed before chuckling.

"I'm sorry...I keep forgetting how _fragile_ you are," Gabriella mocked with a roll of her eyes.

"Ahem...well, anyway, meanie, I am far superior to you when a skateboard's involved," Troy said with an evil grin as he turned the page of the scrapbook.

"Oh, no!" Gabriella bemoaned, staring at the next set of pictures. "How _nice_ is it of you to remind me of my embarrassing moments on my birthday?!"

Troy grinned, looking with her at the photos laid out of Gabriella coasting on a skateboard with a nervous look on her face, though she was trying desperately to appear completely sure of herself. Then, his smile widened, as he looked at the photo of Gabriella attempting a manual (or what she'd call a wheelie). He thought back to that day...

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_Troy had been hanging out with Chad and Jason at the park, shooting baskets and then just tooling around, doing tricks on their skateboards. Chad and Jason had just left, having family gatherings to get to. Troy was still enjoying the late day sunshine, as he continued to do Ollies, Kickflips, Railstands, Kickturns, and Indy Grabs. _

_Gabriella had just gotten done seeing the latest Brad Pitt film with Sharpay and Taylor. She had bowed out of shopping afterwards as she just wasn't really in the mood and knew Sharpay would drag them around for hours on end. So, after her mom had picked her up from the mall and brought her home, she decided to enjoy the beautiful day and have some quiet time to herself. Grabbing the latest paperback romance novel she was reading, she rode her bike a few blocks to one of the local parks. Riding along one of the paths in search of an empty bench she could take over, Gabriella stopped short, as she saw some familiar floppy hair come into view. A smile spread across her face, as she watched Troy skillfully maneuvering on his skateboard. Feeling her tiny camera in her pocket, she had the urge to take his picture. Moving slowly so as not to draw attention to herself, she eased her camera out of her pocket and snapped a few photos._

_Working to extend the amount of time he could hold a manual, Troy sensed that he was being watched. Stopping abruptly, he turned his head until his eyes landed on her. Sitting on her bike about 50 feet away was Gabriella, whose eyes widened briefly when she saw that she'd been spotted. Troy grinned as he saw her tentatively raise a hand to wave at him. He made his way over to her, board in hand. He raised his eyebrows questioningly when he saw the camera in her hand._

_"Hey, Gabriella! Um, stalking me?"_

_Gabriella looked down at the camera in her hand and quickly stuffed it back into her pocket. "Hey, Troy! Uh, no...just...there was a deer in the woods behind you. I didn't even see you right away." 'Yeah, that sounded reasonable,' she thought._

_"Oh, uh, okay. Well, it's too funny seeing you here. Having a good day so far?"_

_"Yeah, pretty good. How 'bout you?"_

_"Decent. You just missed Chad and Jason. The three of us have just been hanging out here this afternoon."_

_"Ah. I was with Sharpay and Taylor earlier, but then I decided to save myself hours on my feet being dragged from store to store, so here I am."_

_Troy laughed. "Good call...though I didn't think you girls ever actually saw that as a bad thing."_

_Gabriella smirked. "Yeah, well, don't tell anyone...I have a reputation to maintain."_

_Troy lifted his hand to make a motion as though he were zipping his mouth shut. _

_"So, you seemed to be pretty in the zone over there," Gabriella remarked, her eyes dropping briefly to Troy's board before returning to his vivid eyes. _

_"Oh, uh, yeah...just practicing a few things." Troy looked down at Gabriella's bike, taking in the white basket attached to the front of the pink frame._

_Gabriella felt the heat in her cheeks rise, as Troy looked over her bike. "Um, I know it's childish and completely girly...my grandpa got it for me and he figured I'd love it, and..."_

_"Gabriella, chill. It's a girl's bike. Last I checked, uh..." Troy paused, cringing at his choice of words, "you are a girl, so it's cool."_

_Gabriella shrugged her shoulders at this and then looked down quickly in horror, remembering what was in her bike's basket. Troy followed her eyes to the basket and his eyes widened, seeing the picture of the shirtless, muscular man with his hands possessively clutching onto the creamy skinned, curvy woman, whose curves were flowing bountifully out from the top of her low cut dress. Gabriella quickly reached down and flipped the book over so that the front cover was facing down. Troy's face lit up with amusement._

_"Um, 'Love's Fiery Passion'? Required reading?" he joked, quirking a brow, lips quivering._

_Gabriella's cheeks burned. She cleared her throat. "Um, no, it's just...it's Shar's and she wanted me to read it and...I figured...what the heck...it might be good for a few laughs," she lied._

_Troy didn't believe a word she said. He found it amusing that the girl he was used to holding a punching bag for as she practiced roundhouse kicks was also apparently a fan of these cheesy romance novels. He couldn't resist teasing her further. "Hey...whatever...who am I to tell you you shouldn't enjoy your smut?" he said with a chuckle, watching her squirm. _

_Gabriella shot Troy an annoyed look. "Shut up, Troy."_

_"Ooh...touchy, aren't ya?" Troy returned._

_"Whatever...what about you? Can the skaterboy read?" she said in a snippy manner._

_Troy's eyes narrowed at this, his smile fading a bit. "Now, that's just not nice...making assumptions about me like that. Yes, I read. More than many would think I do."_

_Gabriella bit her lip, feeling a bit of regret for her defensive remark. "Sorry...so, uh, what was it you were doing just then, before you came over to talk to me?" she asked, wanting to change the subject and move onto something more comfortable. "Was that a wheelie?"_

_Troy's lips curved up again. She looked so sheepish right then. He couldn't stay upset with her. "Uh, yeah, basically," he answered, not concerned about telling her that skaters didn't really call it a wheelie. "You ever been on a board?"_

_"Um, no...can't say I have."_

_"Well, come on, then...you should try it," Troy said, excitement in his voice. _

_"Troy, I don't know...my feet aren't necessarily that great on wheels..."_

_"Uh, huh," Troy said disbelievingly._

_"No, really...you should see me on roller skates. It's not pretty."_

_Troy laughed._ _"Well, if you're too chicken..."_

_Gabriella huffed. "Fine!" She got off her bike and set it down on the grass to the side of the path. She followed Troy over to the concrete skating area he'd been on before. Troy let his board drop, put one foot on it and pushed off, coasting a few feet easily, while keeping his eyes on Gabriella. Then, he stopped and rolled the board in front of Gabriella. _

_"Go ahead. Just try getting on it and coasting a little," he urged._

_Gabriella looked down at the board and tentatively placed one foot on it, but then Troy stopped her. "Wait, let me see the camera," he said, holding out his hand._

_"What? Why?"_

_"Wouldn't want you to drop it while you ride...plus, ya know, if I see any more of those deer, I could take some pictures for you," Troy replied, eyes sparkling._

_Unsure of herself, Gabriella reached into her pocket and handed the camera over to Troy. He took it, nodding at her and glancing down at the skateboard, encouraging her to go ahead._

_Taking a breath, Gabriella carefully placed some weight onto her foot that was on the board and tried pushing off the ground a little bit. Carefully, she brought her other foot up onto the board and put her arms out, coasting very slowly and keeping her balance. _

_Troy watched her, enjoying seeing her trying something she hadn't before. She looked adorable, arms out like she was attempting to cross a tightrope. Troy held her camera up to his face and took her picture. Gabriella was too focused on the task at hand to notice. "Now, how about you try a man-, uh, a wheelie?"_

_"Are you nuts?"_

_"No. Watch." Troy proceeded to demonstrate the trick for her and then had her stand on the board as he held her steady while instructing her on how to place the weight on her feet. _

_Gabriella felt the heat where his hands rested on her waist. It wasn't new though...they'd done various holds and such in karate class, so they'd certainly touched in various ways before. It just felt different today somehow. She tried to pay attention to Troy's instructions and seemed pleased he didn't let her fall._

_"Okay, you've got it. Now, why don't you try it on your own?" he asked, removing his hands from her waist._

_"Um, because I have a brain?" Gabriella replied, hands on her hips._

_"Come on. I dare you. You can do this. Just push off slowly and then, when you're ready, try it."_

_Gabriella pondered this. Gritting her teeth with determination, she sighed and then pushed off slowly as Troy had suggested, bringing her other foot up and coasting a bit before attempting to place the weight of her feet as Troy had shown her a few minutes before._

_Troy was very much liking Gabriella's bravery. He felt proud of her and thought she should have record of her newfound skills, so he held her camera up once more and snapped a picture just as she began to move into the trick. Next thing he knew, he was rushing over to a slightly tearful Gabriella, lying on the ground, clutching her one arm to her in pain._

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Troy's eyes followed Gabriella's to the next few photos on the layout showing the two of them hanging out, Troy carrying some of Gabriella's books and Gabriella sporting a bright pink cast on her left wrist.

"Yeah, well, it was an important part of our history. That's when I officially became your servant..." Gabriella smacked Troy on the arm at this. His response was a mock wince as he continued, "okay, okay...that's when we really got to hang out more and become even better friends." Troy thought back to how badly he'd felt afterwards, how he'd gotten Gabriella back to her house and gone with she and her mom to the hospital. Then, he thought about the weeks that followed and how he'd tried to make it up to her and how they'd ended up spending a bunch of time together in the process.

"Guess I should be glad then every time my wrist has a dull ache when it rains," Gabriella said with more than a hint of sarcasm. "Besides, you owed me your services...I wouldn't have been trying such a stupid stunt if you hadn't dared me!"

Troy rolled his eyes at this. "Ha! You probably wouldn't have been trying such a stunt, as you put it, if you hadn't been embarrassed about me catching you with your smut and trying to get my mind back on skateboarding so I'd stop teasing you."

Gabriella's mouth dropped open at this, having forgotten that part of the day in question until Troy had just now reminded her. She knew he was probably right. She'd felt a confusing need in those days to show him she could be non-girly...that is until she'd realized she very much wanted him to think of her as a girl...

"Besides, Ella, you've never been one to back down from a challenge...it's not my fault you didn't actually turn out to be all that coordinated," Troy joked, earning him another smack. "But, seriously, I'm glad for the time we spent talking and becoming better friends."

"Me too, Troy," Ella conceded with a soft smile, looking sincerely into Troy's eyes for a few moments before turning her attention back to the scrapbook. "But, on to hopefully something less embarrassing," she said as she turned the page to view the next layout.

Her eyes lit up as she stared at the photos before her...


	3. One of My Favorite Days

**Looking Back to Move Forward**

SUMMARY: Troy and Gabriella have been friends for 11 years, best friends. They've even been more, but circumstances years ago led them to end their romance and revert back to just being friends. But will one special weekend of reminiscing about their lives and the memories they've shared remind them of the one thing that they're both missing? M for adult situations/subject matter and sexual references/depictions.

DISCLAIMER: I do not own these wonderful characters...I just love them like the rest of you. :-)

AUTHOR'S NOTE: Not much to say today...just thanks again for reading this story! If you have any specific thoughts so far, I'd love to hear them, so feel free to review. Anyway, hope you enjoy this chapter!

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Chapter 3 – One of My Favorite Days

Her eyes lit up as she stared at the photos before her of she and Troy sitting on the bow of a sailboat, followed by some of the two of them in a rowboat, and then some of them on a small island posing with the setting sun behind them.

"Mmmm...that day was perfect...one of my favorite days," Gabriella said with a smile and a faroff look.

"I'm glad you still think so, Ella. I put a lot of thought into that day," Troy replied with a goofy grin on his face, as he stared at Gabriella's contented face, both of them thinking back to that day...

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_"So, Gabriella, what do you think?" asked Lucille Bolton, with a smile._

_"Oh, Mrs. Bolton, it's beautiful out here. I'm having so much fun. Thanks so much for inviting me to come with you guys."_

_"We're glad to have you...and please, call me Lucy."_

_"Okay...Lucy." _

_"Jack, are the waves looking pretty calm now?"_

_"Yes, dear."_

_"Good. Troy, why don't you and Gabriella go sit up front so us old fogeys don't bore you with our talk of work and bills?" Lucille suggested, sharing a knowing smile with her husband. _

_"Good thinkin', mom. Gabriella, want to?" Troy responded, silently thanking his mother for the "in" she had just provided._

_"Uh, sure...lead the way," Gabriella said a bit hesitantly._

_Troy smiled at her nervousness and held out his hand to her. She took it with a small smile as he led her through the small inner cabin of the boat and through a hatch that opened up to the bow of the boat. He climbed through first and turned to help Gabriella to do the same. Then, they both got comfortable sitting next to each other facing out toward the water. _

_They sat in silence for a few minutes, just enjoying the peaceful sound of the water below them and the heat from the bright sun above. Troy finally broke the silence._

_"I'm really glad you came today, Ella."_

_Gabriella turned her head and looked at him with slight confusion flashing across her face briefly._

_"Oh, uh, sorry...it's just...Gabriella is kind of long, but if you don't want me to shorten your name, that's totally cool," Troy stuttered out nervously, knowing he had only called her by his special nickname in his own mind up until that point and not sure what she thought of him actually saying it aloud._

_Gabriella saw Troy struggling and a slow smile spread across her face. "No...I like it...I just haven't really had anyone call me that before...it's nice."_

_(Was it her imagination or was Troy now beaming as brightly as the sun above them?)_

_"Oh, um, good. I like it. I think it maybe suits you."_

_"Thanks! And, um, Troy...I'm glad I came today too," she replied, glancing at him a bit shyly._

_Troy grinned back at her and slowly reached over and joined their hands, causing both their hands to tingle, their heartbeats to speed up a bit, and the butterflies in their stomachs to start fluttering with particular strength...  
_

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"I didn't realize your mom had taken so many pictures that day," Gabriella remarked gazing back at the pages sitting in front of her.

Troy smirked. "I think she was just enjoying chronicling her baby growing up," he said, putting air quotes around the last three words.

Gabriella grinned mischievously. "Wait, has that happened yet?" she asked before giggling a little.

"Oh, ha ha, Montez...watch it!" Troy responded, narrowing his eyes at her and leaning in playfully with his hands starting to reach toward her sides.

"Okay, okay...you are quite the grown up," Gabriella sputtered, holding her hands up in surrender and leaning away from Troy slightly, still with a huge grin on her face.

"Mmmm...close call there, Ella," Troy said with a wink. "Now, where were we? Oh yeah, remembering how awesome I was that day."

Gabriella just laughed at his cockiness, letting her thoughts drift back to a little later on the day in question...

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_The Boltons had just pulled the sailboat back into its slip and were working on tidying it, when Troy turned to Gabriella with a hopeful look._

_"So, uh, if you're not too tired of being on the water, Ella, I'd love to take you out in the rowboat for a little. There's this cool island I was hoping to show you."_

_"Oh yeah? Well, that sounds like fun, Troy, if your parents don't mind...I mean, we could stay and help..."_

_"Nonsense, Gabriella. Jack and I have got this routine down...and then we're going to go over and have a chat with some friends of ours we see have just docked their boat a few rows down. So, you guys go have fun. Just be back before dark," Lucille instructed with a smile._

_Troy gave his parents another winning smile, as did Gabriella, before he grabbed her hand and led her over to a bank off to the side where a small rowboat was tied up to a post rising out of the water. Troy nodded his head reassuringly at Gabriella, before guiding her into the boat. He then pushed off from the shore and hopped into the boat grabbing the oars and beginning to row them out into the open water. Gabriella could see the small island Troy had referred to off in the distance._

_"Basketball, karate, skateboarding, golf, baseball, sailing, rowing...is there anything sporty you don't do?" Gabriella asked cheekily._

_"Hmmm...ballet?" Troy replied just as cheekily. _

_That caused Gabriella to burst out laughing, getting a mental image of Troy doing pirouettes and plies. _

_"What? Don't think I'd look good in a tutu?"_

_"Nah...you could pull off the tutu...it's the tights I'd be concerned about," Gabriella choked out. _

_Troy shot a glare her way before busting out laughing himself. _

_They continued to joke around and make easy conversation as Troy rowed them nearer and nearer to the island. Once there, he jumped out and tugged the boat further up onto the shore, securing it to a large nearby rock with a rope before helping Gabriella step out of the boat and onto the sand. _

_As she took his offered hand, Gabriella smiled softly up at Troy, before taking a few moments to look at their surroundings. It appeared to be a pretty small island...there were some trees and various plants in the middle, but she thought she could make out the other side of the island through them. She turned back to Troy and noticed that he had just been watching her intently. A small blush colored her cheeks and she glanced away again to compose herself. Troy grinned noticing this. Realizing there'd been a few minutes of silence, he shook himself out of his study of Gabriella and suggested they take a walk around the island. Gabriella quickly agreed and, after leaving their shoes with the boat, they started walking slowly in the direction of the sun. After a few seconds, Troy reached out and linked their hands. Sparks shot through Gabriella's body at the touch. She wondered if Troy realized the effect he had on her and if he felt the sparks too. She also wondered at the frequency with which he'd been holding her hand lately. She wasn't complaining...no, she definitely wasn't complaining. She just wondered if it meant anything or if it just seemed like a natural part of their friendship to him. Troy noticed the contemplative look on her face and gently squeezed her hand, causing her to look up at him. He smiled. Oh, the combination of that smile and the warm hand holding hers. Gabriella sighed inwardly. _

_"So, what do you think?" Troy asked softly._

_'About your hand, your smile, or your eyes?' thought Gabriella before she mentally kicked herself, realizing he was asking about the island._

_"It's really pretty, Troy...peaceful too."_

_"Yeah, I like to come out here and think sometimes."_

_"The basketball superstar is also a deep thinker?" Gabriella teased. _

_"Yep, sometimes," Troy responded with more seriousness than she expected. _

_"Ah. Well, care to do any thinking aloud? I'm happy to listen."_

_Troy gave her a lopsided smile at this. "Thanks Ella. I think...let's just walk some more."_

_There it was again...Ella...she was really starting to enjoy hearing that version of her name roll off his tongue._

_"Okay, Troy."_

_They walked some more in a comfortable silence, just enjoying each other's company and the feel of the sand beneath their toes. When they had made their way around the island once and back to the spot where they had begun their walk, Troy suggested they build something in the sand. They sat down and started attempting to build a castle, laughing as the sand refused to stay in the shapes they kept trying to keep it in, finally giving up._

_"Well, now I'm in trouble," Gabriella said with mock seriousness and a pronounced pout._

_"Why's that?"_

_"I had my heart set on becoming a professional sandcastle builder. Now, I'll have to think of a new career plan." Gabriella said with the same seriousness before bursting out into giggles. _

_Troy joined her, enjoying the melodic sound that was her happiness. _

_"Well, if we can't build anything, why don't we play a game?" Troy suggested, as though he'd just thought of this idea and hadn't been formulating a plan around it ever since he'd begun to row them toward the island._

_"Okay. What sort of game?" Gabriella inquired. _

_Troy just smirked at her and jumped up to run toward the trees for a moment. Gabriella stared after him, momentarily wondering if he had decided they should play hide 'n seek, before noticing him running back toward her before plopping back down next to her in the sand, a sturdy stick in his right hand. _

_"Should I be worried about this, um, game?" Gabriella asked, a hint of amusement in her voice, as her eyes darted from Troy's eyes to the stick and back._

_Troy followed her eyes and broke out into a smile. "Ha! Ha! Okay, smartie pants...how does a word game sound? Maybe...hangman?"_

_"Sounds great!" _

_"Cool!"_

_Troy reached out in front of them with the stick and closed his eyes briefly, willing himself not to lose his nerve. Gabriella simply took this as Troy trying to come up with a good word or phrase to stump her. She watched as he began to sketch lines into the sand until it looked like there were blank letter spaces for five separate words. _

_"Geez...giving me a tough one right up front, huh, Troy?" Gabriella joked._

_"I hope it's not a tough one for you, Ella," Troy responded with an expression on his face she couldn't quite read._

_"Well, we'll see. Hmmm...I guess, how about an E?"_

_Troy filled in two Es._

_"Okay, um, M?"_

_Troy filled in one M._

_"S?"_

_Troy drew a scaffold._

_"Ouch. Okay, how about N?"_

_Troy filled in one N._

_This continued until Gabriella had a head, torso, and one arm drawn on her hangman and most of the letters filled in on Troy's phrase. _

_"Hmmm...Troy, have I ever heard this phrase?"_

_"Umm...," Troy scratched the back of his neck nervously. "Not from me before..." Troy answered softly._

_This did not go unnoticed by Gabriella, who stared back at him briefly with a quizzical expression on her face._

_The phrase read like this:_

_...i l l ...__o... ...__e m... ...__i __r l...__r __i __e __n __d_

_Troy watched Gabriella's face, which was filled with concentration as she tried to work out the phrase in her head. He knew he'd be completely amused by her adorableness if he weren't so very nervous right now. _

_"Okay, I need another letter...let's see...how about a U?"_

_Troy filled in the one U in the second word. _

_"Ah, thought so...okay, the second word is 'you'...which makes the first word 'Will'...yeah, it has to be..."_

_Troy's heart started to beat faster._

_"Will you...hmmm...oh! 'Be'...it has to be 'Be'...'Will you be..."_

_Troy swore he could hear the thrumming of his heart in his ears like a very loud, torturous drummer..._

_"Me? No, that doesn't make any sense...'My'...Will you be my..."_

_Troy stopped breathing..._

_"Will you be my..." _

_Gabriella stopped breathing...she looked up into Troy's eyes, which were filled with a mixture of hope and anxiety. Realization dawned on her...this was not just a simple word game._

_"...girlfriend?" she uttered so quietly Troy blinked, unsure if he'd actually heard it. _

_One look into Gabriella's eyes assured him she knew the question, whether he'd heard it or not._

_Gabriella sat speechless looking into those gorgeous, expressive eyes, right now expressing to her the sincerity of the question._

_The silence was deafening to Troy...he pleaded with her with his eyes to just tell him what she was thinking and to forgive him and not hate him if this had been a completely idiotic thing for him to do._

_Realizing Troy was waiting for her to say or do something, Gabriella closed her eyes briefly, took in a shallow breath, opened her eyes again and asked "Troy...do you...I mean...are you..."_

_Troy had to know... "Yes," he interrupted softly, looking into those deep brown orbs, hoping to see the unspoken answer there. Gaining a final ounce of courage, Troy spoke again, "Ella, will you be my girlfriend?"_

_Gabriella could hardly believe she was actually hearing those words come from Troy's mouth...that perfect mouth she'd been longing to kiss for months now. Her heart leaped with joy. Finally realizing that her wish was coming true, that joy spread to her face as a huge smile reached her lips and her eyes._

_"Yes!" she exclaimed gleefully. "Yes, Troy, I would love to be your girlfriend!"_

_Troy's heart had never felt so full as it did in that moment. He swiftly dropped the stick he'd still been clutching onto like a lifeline moments before and wrapped his new girlfriend up in an embrace. They just held onto each other like that for several minutes before Troy pulled back._

_"I'm so glad you said yes, Ella. You so had me sweating it there. I didn't know how to ask...and then I did...and then, I was starting to think this was a really stupid way to do it...and then, well, I didn't know if you were repulsed by the idea...and I didn't want to lose our friendship if you were..."_

_Gabriella held up a finger to his lips. "I loved the game...I wasn't expecting it...but I was hoping for it. And, Troy Bolton, I could never be repulsed by you," she finished with another huge smile. _

_A similar smile made an appearance on Troy's face before it faded into a more serious expression. Looking into Gabriella's eyes, Troy ventured to take one more risk. The first had paid off and at that moment, he couldn't bear to put off the second one. Softly, he puckered his lips and kissed the finger she still held up to them. _

_Gabriella gazed back at Troy, enchanted by his actions._

_Troy gently took hold of the hand attached to that beautiful finger and turned it so her palm was facing him, before placing a soft kiss on the palm of her hand._

_And for the second time in so many minutes, Gabriella felt the air leave her..._

_Troy brought her hand back down linking it with his own, as he inched his lips ever closer to their final destination._

_Gabriella leaned ever so slightly forward..._

_And then their lips connected, very softly at first and then with more pressure as they began to explore the delightful feeling more. Troy tugged gently at Gabriella's bottom lip before allowing his tongue to slowly run over it. Gabriella sighed into the kiss, parting her lips and allowing Troy's tongue to continue its exploration, as hers joined in a similar exploration seconds later. Troy buried the hand that wasn't linked with Gabriella's into her thick, curly locks. Gabriella allowed her other hand to rest on Troy's back, as she ventured to pull him closer to her. They continued to drink in this intoxicating new feeling, this sweet new taste of each other for several minutes before slowly pulling apart and resting their foreheads against one another as they tried to catch their breath. _

_"Wow," they both breathed simultaneously, before laughing at their own stunned reactions and getting to their feet._

_They didn't know how long they had been on the island, but they noted that the sun was very close to disappearing into the water. They started to walk toward the rowboat, but then Gabriella stopped in her tracks and dug in her pocket producing her camera. She'd almost completely forgotten she had it with her today. She paused and took a few pictures of the brilliant colors that were lighting up the sky at that moment. Troy watched her, never once doubting that the vision to his right was much more beautiful than the sunset happening to his left. _

_"Hey Ella, let's get a picture of both of us...on what shall forever be known as our island."_

_Gabriella smiled at this. She couldn't seem to stop doing that now. "But, how?"_

_"Self-portrait! Er...selves portrait?" _

_Gabriella laughed. They got into position with Troy wrapping his arm around Gabriella's waist from behind, holding the camera out with his other hand. She leaned back into his muscular chest, smiling at the lens, knowing no matter how this photo turned out, today would be a day she would never forget. Troy snapped the photo and they took a few more just for good measure before sharing one more lingering kiss and then climbing back into the rowboat and heading back toward the opposite shore.  
_

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"Okay, Bolton...I guess you were pretty awesome that day," Gabriella smiled up at Troy.

"Why, thank you, Ella!" he responded with a triumphant smile of his own.

For a moment, the two just held each other's gaze with a contented smile remembering the happy times that followed that special sunset on the island.

Gabriella broke the silence. "Though Sharpay did think you were a bit morbid with the hangman and all...and I'm pretty sure Rachel didn't think either of us was awesome from then on."

Troy groaned thinking of Sharpay's continued finding of the faults she saw in his actions and also remembering the cold shoulder Rachel had given them the rest of the year until she and her family had moved to another state.

Then, he perked up, another thought crossing his mind. "Well, Chad thought it was highly appropriate...you know, getting a girlfriend being like gaining a noose around the neck," he chuckled.

"You know...Taylor can probably sense that indirect Chad-ism you just shared and is probably smacking Chad upside the head as we speak...she's scary psychic like that," Gabriella added, laughing.

Troy laughed with her as he reached for the bottle of wine and refilled their glasses, handing Gabriella her refreshed glass and watching as she took another sip. He did the same before reaching across her lap and flipping to the next layout in the scrapbook...


	4. Sneaky, Sneaky

**Looking Back to Move Forward**

SUMMARY: Troy and Gabriella have been friends for 11 years, best friends. They've even been more, but circumstances years ago led them to end their romance and revert back to just being friends. But will one special weekend of reminiscing about their lives and the memories they've shared remind them of the one thing that they're both missing? M for adult situations/subject matter and sexual references/depictions.

DISCLAIMER: I do not own these wonderful characters...I just love them like the rest of you. :-)

AUTHOR'S NOTE: This chapter was SO much fun to write...and it is longer...enjoy!

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Chapter 4 – Sneaky, Sneaky

The next set of pictures were of a familiar setting, the very cabin in which they now currently reminisced. They showed their group of friends having fun splashing around in the lake, lounging on the deck enjoying hot dogs and hamburgers being served up from the grill by Gabriella's grandpa, and hanging out in the cabin playing board games and cards.

"Oh, that was a really fun weekend," Gabriella remembered.

"Yes, aside from all the teasing our friends did about us going out," Troy remarked with a smirk.

"Hey...it's what they do, Troy...it's what they do," Gabriella replied with a laugh.

Troy smiled back at her. "Indeed," he said, dry humor lacing his voice, as he thought back to that weekend...

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_"Gabs, thanks so much for inviting us out here this weekend," Taylor said, shooting Gabriella a grateful smile as she splashed some more water over her arms to ease the feel of the sun's heat on her skin. She, Gabriella, Kelsi, and Sharpay were all just wading in the water of the lake just enjoying the beautiful day and each other's company. _

_"No problem. Thanks to all of you for coming! I was so excited when grandpa suggested I invite my friends out for the weekend."_

_"Well, it was such a tough decision," Kelsi said, sarcasm lacing her voice as she rolled her eyes before sending a genuine smile Gabriella's way._

_"It really was," Sharpay said, actually serious. "Daddy flew Mummy and Ryan to the French Riviera to check out that new property he's looking into purchasing. I could have gone, but it's okay. I made Ryan promise to bring back my favorite products from the Riviera Spa and to take photos of all the latest fashions if they dally in Paris at all."_

_Gabriella looked at the blonde with awe. It still seemed unreal to her that she was friends with someone whose family had such a glamorous lifestyle. She knew she wasn't friends with Sharpay because of said lifestyle, but rather because deep down, she had seen the good heart she had and how fiercely she cared about her friends and those close to her, and because she was just plain fun to hang out with...even if she didn't always come with a much-needed internal censor! "Well, Sharpay. I'm really glad you did stay here on U.S. soil. This weekend wouldn't be the same without you. I'm honored you chose to spend it here."_

_"No prob, Gabs! Anyway, the rays here are perfect to help me keep this beautiful tan I've got going here," Sharpay responded with an enthusiastic grin as she surveyed her own glowing skin. _

_Taylor, Kelsi, and Gabriella all exchanged knowing smiles with each other before reaching their hands into the water and proceeding to splash their friend's glowing skin, resulting in a shocked ear-piercing shriek from the blonde. _

_This caught the attention of the guys, who had been tossing a football around on the shore._

_"Argh! My ears!" lamented Chad._

_"What the...?" questioned Troy, as he lowered the arm he had just raised to toss the football and looked out into the water to see what was going on._

_"Looks like Sharpay wasn't prepared to get wet despite the fact she is wading in a lake," Zeke said with a laugh._

_"But, she's wearing a bathing suit, right?" Jason questioned, a confused look on his face, not really understanding the high maintenance ways of their blonde friend. _

_Chad pounded Jason on the shoulder in a friendly gesture, saying "Oh, buddy...don't even try to understand it," with a grin on his face._

_"Uh...okay," Jason replied with a lopsided smile. _

_Back in the lake, the girls were not deterred by Sharpay's loud protests, as they continued to splash her until she gave up shrieking and reached her own hands into the water sending her own retaliation their way. All four started turning on each other, the sound of their laughter echoing across the water._

_"Oh, this is great stuff," Chad said, going to grab his camera from his sports bag, which he had sitting just a few feet away. "This is like gold...hot chicks splashing around in a lake...hot wet chicks..." Chad said, beginning to snap photos with enthusiasm._

_Troy chuckled. "Hey! Just keep your eyes off one of those chicks. That raven-haired golden goddess out there is all mine," he said with a wide grin._

_"You're such a girl, Bolton! Geez! If it's there for my enjoyment..." Chad mumbled before being socked playfully in the gut by Troy. _

_"Seriously, you're both idiots," Zeke remarked. "We could stand here watching and snapping photos, or we could go join said hot wet chicks in the water," he added, eagerness lighting up his face._

_"He's right!" Jason exclaimed._

_Sharing a quick look with each other, the guys looked back at the girls before sprinting out into the lake and joining in on the splashing battle, resulting in even more joyous laughter filling the air and reaching Gabriella's grandfather, who sat up on the deck and rested the book he'd been reading in his lap, just taking a few moments to enjoy watching his granddaughter having such a good time with her friends.  
_

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"Do you think your grandfather was ever lonely?" Troy asked, studying one of the photos that showed Gabriella laughing with her grandfather next to the grill as he flipped burgers.

Gabriella's eyes moved to the photo Troy was looking at, a soft smile forming on her face as she thought about the man who had been the only real paternal figure in her life, as he had always supported his only daughter and granddaughter when Gabriella's actual father decided he was just not in fact good father-material. She remembered sharing many laughs with her grandfather. He had such a good sense of humor and he always knew just what to say to her and how to be a great listener whenever she had needed him to be.

"I think at times," she replied. "But I think he poured all his love into us and the extended family. He really enjoyed being able to help mom and I and his sisters and their families. And, he just liked watching everyone grow up and find their own happiness and place in life. I think that helped him feel more purpose and be able to live each day and still feel full."

Troy nodded, looking at the thoughtful expression on Gabriella's face. "I wish I had gotten to meet your grandmother, Ella. But, I feel like you and your grandpa painted a vivid picture for me of the wonderful, beautiful woman she was."

Gabriella smiled at this. "I wish you could have met her too, Troy. Bet she would've given you a much harder time than grandpa did though," she said with a sparkle in her eyes, having a brief flash to a conversation she witnessed Troy and her grandfather having that weekend...

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_"So, Troy...Gabriella tells me you've officially asked her to be your girlfriend and she's accepted."_

_"Um, yes, sir."_

_"Well, my granddaughter seems pretty happy about that. You don't plan to do anything to leave her feeling unhappy, do you son?"_

_"No! Not at all, sir! I care a lot about her."_

_"As do I, Troy...as do I. Just remember how special that heart of hers is...it's already been broken by one man in her life...one man who does not deserve the honor of calling her his daughter...so, you take good care of it now," Carlos Montez said in a serious tone, with a look imploring Troy to do just that and to truly appreciate the gift he had in this beautiful girl who had agreed to call herself his. _

_"I will, sir," Troy replied earnestly. "I will guard it with my life."_

_"Good, Troy. That's very good," Carlos said, allowing his face to relax into a smile, now feeling assured that Troy would be true to his word. "And one more thing..."_

_"Yes, sir?"_

_"Just because you two are formally dating now doesn't mean you need to call me sir. Don't make me feel more ancient than I already feel," Carlos joked._

_Troy grinned at this. "Sorry, Carlos. I just want you to know that I do respect you and the relationship you and Ella have. Thank you for supporting our relationship too."_

_Carlos smiled at this and patted Troy on the back before encouraging him to go join the lovely lady in question, who had led the group inside to decide on a game to play . What neither realized was that she had gone into the kitchen to gather up some snacks and had stopped to listen to their conversation through the screen door, smiling at the two guys she cared about most talking about how much they cared about her before sneaking back into the living room to await Troy's arrival.  
_

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"I never knew you heard that conversation," Troy exclaimed after Gabriella recounted her memory of what she'd heard that day.

"You weren't supposed to, silly," she replied with a grin.

"Sneaky, sneaky," he teased back. "Overhear anything else of interest that weekend?"

Gabriella tapped her chin with her finger, looking up toward the ceiling thoughtfully. "Hmmm...as a matter of fact..." she began, grinning sheepishly at Troy.

"Oh, no...do I want to know?"

Gabriella just laughed.

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_"Geez, Gabs! Why did you agree to be this lunkhead's girlfriend again?" Taylor whined._

_"Well, not for his drawing skills, obviously," Gabriella joked, shooting her friend a brief sympathetic look, before giggling as Troy started to tickle her sides in retaliation for the comment. She, Taylor, and Sharpay were on a team with Troy, as the gang was playing Pictionary. Unfortunately, though his talents were many, Troy did not possess a talent for drawing, or, as he defended, the girls did not possess a talent for guessing. Taylor watched with a frown as Kelsi, Zeke, Jason, and Chad's team completed their final drawing and took the win._

_Chad stopped his celebratory whoops to stare at his friend since childhood, who was at the moment completely engrossed in his task of tickling his girlfriend into a hysterical fit of giggles. "Hey! Others in the room, here! Save the hanky panky for later!" he yelled, grinning devilishly. _

_Troy and Gabriella stopped to glance around the room, remembering their friends' presence, slight blushes emerging on their cheeks. _

_"Oh, let them alone, Danforth!"_

_Everyone looked at Sharpay with surprise._

_"What? Yeah, yeah...normally that kind of display would make me want to puke...but for some reason, they're not bothering me tonight," Sharpay explained. "Bolton grew a pair finally...we should be happy for him," she added with a toss of her hair, dismissing the matter._

_Troy narrowed his eyes at her after that last comment but returned his attention to his adorable girlfriend a second later as he felt her hand soothingly stroke his arm a little. He connected his eyes with her own as she sent him a sweet smile._

_Zeke cleared his throat. "Anyway, now that we have whipped you at Pictionary, what's next?" _

_"Powder room break," Sharpay exclaimed, standing up and looking at the other girls, waiting for them to follow her. They did, grinning at each other with amusement. _

_Once they entered the hall, however, Sharpay motioned for them to be quiet and to listen in on what the guys were saying in the living room. They happily complied._

_"What kind of powder do you think they're gonna use? Baby powder?" Jason asked with interest, not understanding the groans he received from the other guys, who never did answer him._

_Chad turned his attention from Jason to his best friend. "So, seriously, Troy. I'm happy for you. 'Bout time you started reaping some of the benefits of your closeness with Gabs," he said with a sly wink in his friend's direction._

_"Chad, do you think of nothing above the belt?"_

_Chad looked back at him faking a shocked look. "I have no idea what you mean, Bolton. You must be the one thinking below the belt."_

_Troy blushed at this, mentally kicking himself for walking right into that one. _

_Zeke chimed in to save his friend further harassment from Chad. "So, things seem good. You guys seem happy with this new decision to be more than just friends."_

_"Yeah...we are. I'm so glad I finally got the nerve to ask her."_

_"So, you've kissed her, right?" Jason asked._

_Troy smiled for a moment with a far off look, but then that smile turned to a frown._

_"Okay, what was that look? Have you not kissed her yet?" Zeke asked._

_"No. It's not that. We kissed after she agreed to be my girlfriend...and it was completely awesome."_

_The guys grinned at this and gave each other fist bumps._

_Troy still had a slight frown on his face._

_"So, why the frown, dude?" Chad asked._

_Troy sighed. "It's just that...it's been a few weeks and we haven't really gotten to spend much time alone...so we haven't really gotten to kiss more than a few times more and then fairly quickly."_

_"So, you want us to disappear so you can have an extended makeout session with your girlfriend?" Zeke said, nudging Troy in the ribs with his elbow. _

_"No...yes...I don't know. I just...I could kiss her for hours on end...I just don't know if she'd be down with that. But it doesn't matter because I have no idea when we'll have that kind of time anyway," Troy finished._

_His friends all looked at him with mixed looks of amusement and sympathy._

_"Why are we talking about this again," Troy asked, scratching the back of his neck, feeling uncomfortable._

_"Because it's fun watching you squirm...and thinking about kissing Gabs," Chad said with an evil grin._

_"Watch it, Chad," Troy responded, sending a glare his way. _

_"Ugh, Bolton...you're no fun. Seriously though, it'll happen, dude. Cheer up. Before you know it, you'll be sucking face for hours and hours everyday and we'll have to gouge out our burning eyes so we don't have to watch it," Chad joked._

_"Yeah," agreed Zeke and Jason._

_"Gee, thanks, guys."_

_Around the corner, the girls stared at Gabriella, who wore a huge smile. She motioned for them to continue back to the bedrooms and bathroom, a plan formulating in her mind.  
_

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"Wait. You heard that?"

"Yep."

"Man, woman...should I start checking around corners to make sure you're not listening to my every conversation?"

"Nah...don't bother. I've gotten much more sophisticated...planting bugs, using private investigators..." Gabriella trailed off as she started to giggle at her own silliness.

"Figures," Troy played along, "you and your smarty pants ways."

"Whatever. It's not like my so-called sneakiness didn't benefit you."

Troy looked at her, a question in his eyes.

"Yes, that's why I suggested we go to the store for additional weekend snacks. You're not the only one who could plan for us to have our special moments together, Bolton."

"I guess not..." Troy murmured quietly, wondering if he had always been a step ahead of Ella in their relationship or if it had always been the other way around. He smiled realizing it didn't much matter.

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_"So, do you think we've gotten enough to feed this ravenous crowd?" Troy asked Gabriella jokingly, as he drove them back toward the cabin._

_"Is that ever possible?" Gabriella joked right back, before thoughtfully glancing over at Troy. "Hey, Troy...if you don't mind, my grandpa asked if we could check in on Sheila. She's one of his neighbors and he looks in on her from time to time to see if she needs anything."_

_"Sure, just point me in the right direction."_

_Gabriella guided Troy up a winding road until they came to a cabin at the top. The cabin seemed dark and no other cars were visible. "Oh, darn. Guess she must be off visiting her children and their families this weekend. Grandpa will have to check on her another time."_

_"Guess so," replied Troy starting to put the car in reverse so he could turn around and head back down the road._

_"Wait, Troy," Gabriella stopped him. "Since we're here, I should show you Sheila's awesome view."_

_"Oh, okay. Sounds good," Troy replied with a smile, shutting off the car and getting out, moving around the car to open the door for Gabriella before she had the chance to do so for herself._

_"Why thank you kind sir!" she teased with a playful grin._

_"Not a problem, milady," Troy played along, sweeping into an exaggerated bow in front of her._

_Gabriella giggled and reached for Troy's hand, leading him around to the other side of the cabin, where Troy's mouth dropped open in awe. The cabin opened up to a clearing that eventually dropped off into a steep, forested hill leading down to the lake. Troy hadn't realized when they were driving that they were so high up. He breathed deeply of the fresh air as he looked down at the beautiful lake sparkling in the moonlight, before looking up at the bright moon and all the twinkling stars above. _

_"Beautiful, isn't it?" Gabriella asked, soaking in the wonderful view too._

_"Yes, it is..." Troy said huskily._

_Gabriella turned to look at him and caught his meaningful look, recognizing that he'd been referring to her in that moment and not the natural surroundings. She returned his look and felt her pulse begin to race at the intensity of it. She slowly reached up and moved some of Troy's bangs that had flopped into his eyes off to the side some, allowing her hand to then linger on his cheek. Troy's lips curved up into a smile and he moved toward his girlfriend a bit and slid his arms around her waist, gazing into her eyes for a few more moments before leaning down to capture her lips in a sweet kiss. Gabriella moved both hands to the back of his neck, so that she could entwine her fingers into his hair. She stood on her tiptoes to feel even closer to Troy and Troy was surprised to feel her small tongue dart out tentatively to graze his lip, requesting entrance, which he quickly granted. They stood there for some time, just kissing in the moonlight. When they finally pulled away, Troy looked at Gabriella with awe that she could make him feel this way, like every nerve in his body was alive and aware of her. Gabriella studied Troy, enchanted by the look on his face and sure that no other face had ever looked so good in the moonlight. _

_"Troy..."_

_Troy sighed. He figured she was going to tell him they'd better start heading back to her grandpa's cabin._

_"...do you want to maybe sit down and stay here for a little while?" she asked, looking at him hopefully._

_The second her words registered in his brain, Troy's face broke out into a huge grin...the only answer he needed to provide. The two of them sat down on the soft grass, Gabriella leaning into Troy's side with her head on his shoulder. Troy wrapped his arm around her shoulders and gave her a light squeeze. She lifted her head up slightly to look him in the eyes again and Troy took that opportunity to lean in again and connect their lips. Gabriella enjoyed every sensation as Troy's lips moved against hers and eventually as their tongues danced with one another. She had one arm around his back and one resting on his chest, gripping his shirt a bit as the kiss grew in intensity. Troy thought she might pull away. He didn't know how long she'd let him kiss her. He didn't realize he didn't really have to worry about the matter. Gabriella wanted to kiss Troy Bolton as often, as long, and as much as he wanted to kiss her. When they finally did make their way back to Troy's car and back to her grandfather's cabin, Gabriella felt that she had conveyed this to Troy pretty clearly.  
_

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"So, did you know Sheila wouldn't be at home that evening?" Troy asked, a big grin on his face.

"What do you think?" returned Gabriella, with a matching grin.

Troy laughed. "Well, at least I know you didn't entirely make her up. I remember meeting her on more than one occasion after that."

"Yeah, she and grandpa were pretty good friends."

"Never more?"

"No. I think Sheila might have liked that, but grandpa...well, I think he just felt that he had found the love of his life and devoted himself to her and he was never going to do so with anyone else. I mean, not that he was lonely or depressed about that...I mean, of course he was sad when the cancer took her...but just that he felt set...not like he'd lost that love, but like he always had it, so he wasn't looking for it anymore. Not sure if that makes sense."

"Yeah, I think so," Troy replied thoughtfully, thinking about grandpa Carlos and how even though he'd only ever known him to be on his own, it never quite felt like he was alone. It was like Ella's grandma Anita's presence was always there with him.

"He always said it took him so long to recognize the love that was right there in front of him that he vowed to spend the rest of his life making sure he never lost sight of it," Gabriella continued. "I really don't think he ever did...and I think his life was full and he never looked back with any regrets. My grandma was it for him and he couldn't see it any other way," she said with a smile.

Troy returned her smile. For a reason of which he was not quite sure, her grandfather's experience resonated with him. Maybe it was that he hoped it was like that for him when he found that right woman. He wasn't sure. He just knew he felt something hearing it.

Gabriella was enjoying this moment of remembering her grandparents and their great love of each other. She remembered shortly before her grandmother passed away a conversation that she had had with her in which she shared her hopes for Gabriella's future. Of course, she wanted her granddaughter to pay attention to her studies and go on to graduate from college and find a fulfilling career, but more than that, she emphasized to Gabriella that she wanted her to find a love that made her feel full "from the tips of her toes to the end of each strand of her hair." She wanted her to find that person who complemented Gabriella so well that knowing one was also knowing the other, not because anyone's individuality disappeared but because the two persons became so much to each other that they became a part of each other in an irreversible and undeniable way. She hoped that she would not disappoint her grandmother in this respect. She thought that she had felt that once...but she was young... Not caring to follow that line of thought any further, Gabriella tried to lighten the conversation.

"You know...you act so innocent, Troy, but it's not like you never did any eavesdropping of your own," Gabriella teased.

"What?" Troy responded, trying to make his face appear blank and unsure of what she could be referring to.

"Hmmm...let me see...well, there was this one slumber party that stands out in my mind..."

Troy groaned. "Oh, alright, but you knew about that...I didn't know until now that you had overheard those things at the cabin that weekend."

"Exactly. You're obviously not all that good at being stealth," Gabriella said nudging him playfully.

Troy smirked. "Fine...obviously I'm not. But it doesn't mean I regretted my findings that night, even after getting chased around by you four girls wielding lipstick and perfume and threatening to really make me feel like one of the girls since I seemed so intent on joining your slumber party."

Gabriella laughed at the memory of them catching Troy when he had accidentally knocked something over on Gabriella's balcony alerting them to his unwanted presence and then chasing him around Gabriella's room, trying to tackle him so they could put makeup on him and punish him for being so nosy. Her laugh was followed by a brief blush as she remembered what Troy had been trying to hear...

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_"So, Gabs, spill," Sharpay instructed._

_"About what?" _

_"Come on, Gab, you know what we want to know...are the lips that make up that adorable Troy Bolton smile good for anything else?" Taylor asked teasingly._

_"Yeah, Gabs...you have to tell us...we've waited too long for you guys to get your acts together and start dating to not get any details," Kelsi added propping her chin onto her hands and looking at Gabriella eagerly._

_Gabriella sighed...she knew she wasn't going to get through the night without sharing something with her friends. They were relentless. _

_Troy stopped in his tracks out on the balcony hearing this line of questioning occurring. He had in fact planned to just come over and steal his girlfriend away from the girls for a few minutes, as he hadn't seen her yet that weekend and was missing her, but as soon as he climbed onto her balcony, he heard their voices pretty clearly through the glass and then was frozen in his spot as he swiftly realized they were talking about him._

_Gabriella thought about the kisses she and Troy had shared...their first and the kissing they'd been doing at length and with increasing frequency ever since that weekend at the cabin. She couldn't keep the huge smile from forming on her face._

_"That good, huh?" Taylor asked, noticing this._

_Gabriella blushed. "Yes, Tay, that good."_

_"That's it?" Sharpay snapped a few seconds later when it seemed that's all Gabriella was going to say._

_"Shar...I don't know what you want me to say. You know how kissing works. I don't think you need the play by play." Gabriella paused, trying to think of what she could share. "I guess...well, his lips are just...and his tongue..." she looked down shyly, "it's just...yeah, he's a really good kisser. And the way he lets his lips linger on mine before pulling away from a kiss...it's like he wants to make each one last and to imprint it in his memory. It's really sweet. It just always feels...perfect." _

_A collective sigh could be heard in the room. _

_Troy smiled, feeling relief that there didn't seem to be any points for critique of his kissing. Gabriella wasn't the first girl he'd kissed, but she was the first he really found it hard to stop kissing._

_"So, Gabs, plan to do anything more than kissing?" asked Kelsi tentatively._

_The crimson rose on Gabriella's cheeks once more. "I don't know Kels...maybe, but we're just enjoying this right now."_

_"But, do you think you want to get to that point? I mean, do you think Troy's the one?" Kelsi continued._

_"Yeah, I kind of do," said Gabriella, smiling softly._

_"Well, when you do eventually meet Bolton Jr., you better not hold back with the details," Sharpay blurted, breaking up the quiet moment._

_It was at this exact point that they heard a crash on the balcony and all jumped up to go check it out. _

_Troy cursed his big, clumsy hands. He had been leaning in to hear what Gabriella would say in response to Kelsi's question and had jerked back in horror when he heard Sharpay's last statement, causing him to bump into the flower pot Gabriella had sitting on her small balcony table, sending it crashing to the floor._

_Before he could do more than curse at himself and look toward the balcony doors with widening eyes, the girls were on the balcony with him pointing accusing fingers and yelling at him for scaring them. As soon as Gabriella realized it was not in fact a burglar on her balcony, but her own boyfriend, she blushed thinking about what she had just been sharing with her friends and quickly dropped her head to stare at the ground when the look on her boyfriend's face made it evident that he had heard exactly what they had been saying._

_Troy blushed back at Gabriella, ashamed of himself for having listened in on her conversation, but inwardly leaping for joy that she was feeling and thinking things he had been feeling and thinking too. As nicely as he could, Troy tried to apologize to the girls and calm them down, starting to back away to climb back down the balcony._

_"Oh, no you don't, Bolton," shrieked Sharpay, grabbing hold of his arm with more force than he knew she possessed and yanking him toward the balcony door and into Gabriella's room. Taylor joined the assault, grabbing his other arm and pulling him toward the center of the room. _

_"Kels, grab my cosmetic case over there, will ya?"_

_Kelsi obliged, with a smirk._

_"What do you think, Gabs? Would loverboy look better with pink, red, or mauve?" she asked, shuffling through her case and pulling out a few lipsticks and nail polishes._

_"Very funny, Sharpay," Troy said nervously._

_On the one hand, Gabriella felt a little bad for Troy. On the other hand, the snoop just heard her say some things she hadn't really planned on telling him at this point. The corners of her lips started to twitch with amusement._

_Troy did not like the evil-looking smirk that was forming on his girlfriend's face._

_"Hmmm...those blue eyes...I think pink would bring them out well." _

_Troy's mouth dropped, hearing that evil statement leave his girlfriend's perfect lips. _

_"And since you want to be just one of the girls, Troy, you should probably smell as good as we do too," Taylor added. In response, Kelsi nodded and pulled a few of Sharpay's perfume bottles out of her case. "Summer Rain or Papaya Paradise?" Kelsi asked holding them up, a twinkle in her eyes._

_Troy coughed. This was getting out of hand. He tried to tug his arms out of Sharpay's and Taylor's hands, as Kelsi started to approach him with one of the bottles and Gabriella had started to open a lipstick tube and turn back in his direction. That was it. Troy Bolton knew he would let Gabriella do a lot of things to him...he hoped in fact that she'd want to do some things in particular...but he would not, under any circumstances, let her put makeup on him. And, with that, he broke free of the girls' hold and started to run toward the balcony. The girls managed to get there first, blocking his way. Seeing this, he made a quick turn and ran toward Gabriella's bedroom door, flinging it open and sprinting down her stairs, through her living room, and out her front door, managing to wave very briefly at Maria, as she looked at him quizzically from her spot on the living room sofa. And, with that, he'd made his escape, leaving a group of four girls gasping hysterically and high-fiving at their cleverness and the sheer terror they'd seen on Troy's face and in his actions. Maria just shook her head at them, humored by the sight.  
_

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"Too bad we didn't get any pictures of that...that would have made a lovely addition to my scrapbook," Gabriella teased, still laughing a little at the memory.

"Funny...I suspect such pictures would have gotten lost somewhere along the way," Troy replied dryly.

"Oh, spoilsport," Gabriella responded, poking him in the arm with her finger and tilting her head, smirking at him. "Served you right," she added.

"Whatever, innocent one."

"Well, at least I used my spying for good. You were just being a total teenage boy!"

"Yes, Ella, I was in fact a teenage boy," Troy replied with a roll of his eyes, adding "and I think I used my knowledge for good too," with a grin.

Gabriella's eyes widened a bit at this, before she nodded at him briefly and stood up to take their empty bottle and glasses into the kitchen.

Troy wasn't sure if he'd let his mind wander a bit too far down memory lane but she was the one who sent his mind in that direction when she'd reminded him of the eavesdropping incident.

He smiled again, as Gabriella re-entered the room and sat back down next to him again, taking the scrapbook back into her lap, as she tried her best to stifle a yawn.

"Oh, no. I'm boring you," Troy said with mirth.

"No, Troy...I am really enjoying my scrapbook and just remembering these fun times with you," Gabriella said with sincerity, before pausing to cover another yawn.

Troy chuckled at this. "It's okay, Ella. Really. If you're tired, we don't have to look at this whole thing tonight. We have all weekend together. And, I honestly prefer it when the women are not falling asleep in my presence!"

Gabriella laughed at his humored expression before saying, "If you really don't mind, Troy, I could fall into my bed right about now. Must be this whole getting old thing."

Troy laughed at her joke before taking the scrapbook from her and placing it back in its box and setting it on the coffee table. He then put his hand out. Ella took it and he helped her up off the couch and pulled her into a big hug.

"Happy Birthday, Ella! I'm so glad to be here and I'm sure this whole weekend's going to be great," Troy said sincerely before pulling away from the hug and placing a chaste kiss on her cheek. "Now, off to bed with you, sleepy one," he ordered, his one hand placing light pressure on her back and guiding her towards the hall.

"Thank you, Troy," she said, looking back over her shoulder at him. "Sleep well."

"You too, Ella."

And with that, she disappeared down the hall into her bedroom. Troy went to the kitchen to grab himself a glass of water, before following her lead and heading to the guest bedroom to catch some Z's. They both fell asleep quickly and easily and slept quite well that night.

The same could not be said of the following night…


	5. I Wished For More Mistletoe

**Looking Back to Move Forward**

SUMMARY: Troy and Gabriella have been friends for 11 years, best friends. They've even been more, but circumstances years ago led them to end their romance and revert back to just being friends. But will one special weekend of reminiscing about their lives and the memories they've shared remind them of the one thing that they're both missing? M for adult situations/subject matter and sexual references/depictions.

DISCLAIMER: I do not own these wonderful characters...I just love them like the rest of you. :-)

AUTHOR'S NOTE: Hello! Okay, first, just feel the need to share that I just introduced a friend to the wonderful world of High School Musical this weekend...we watched HSM1, HSM2, and the HSM3 trailer...and she loved it. That pleases me to no end, let me tell you, since many I know just don't get the love and don't take the time to try to see what I love about it. Anyway, figured y'all could understand my joy in that. LOL! Well, this chapter has a slight bit of seriousness/angst...but past angst. So, it's all good, right? And, then, you know, more lovely Troyella fluff. Anyhoo, read on!

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Chapter 5 – I Wished for More Mistletoe

Saturday morning saw Gabriella rise early from a peaceful sleep. She got out of bed, stretching a little, and walked out to the bathroom to brush her teeth and wash her face. She paused outside the door to the guest room, hearing soft snoring coming from inside. Chuckling quietly to herself, she made her way down the hall and into the kitchen. She started the coffee pot brewing and started gathering ingredients to make them a good breakfast. Once the coffee was ready, she poured herself a cup and grabbed the book she was currently reading off the table, where she'd last left it, before heading out the back door to the deck. She knew Troy, not being much of an early morning person, wouldn't be crawling out of bed for at least another hour so she decided to enjoy some quiet time to herself. Sitting out on the deck sipping her coffee, Gabriella looked up from her book periodically to watch the birds who were skimming across the water and the deer who she could see grazing just beyond the tree line. It was so beautiful out here. It was in these moments she felt so blessed just to be alive and part of it all. And, she enjoyed the quiet. It was when she got to really reflect on her life. She was mostly happy with her life. She loved her friends; her relationship with her mother was great and only grew stronger with each year; she had a rewarding, though at times emotionally draining, career as an oncology social worker; her own responsible decisions and her grandfather's generosity had seen that she was financially comfortable and secure; and she had this beautiful place to call her own. All in all, many would be happy to trade places with her. But there was still something missing, something Gabriella longed for...that all-encompassing, nerve-electrifying, soul-shaking love her grandmother had wished for her. On the one hand, she knew it was silly to despair about not having found it by age 25, but having seen the deep love others had found, like Chad and Taylor, she sometimes just wondered if she was destined to have that.

She had done her best to look for it. She'd done plenty of dating and had had her share of relationships but her best relationship had still been with Troy, but that made sense to her logically as no one else knew her better. But after spending a time without each other following their romantic relationship, they were both very grateful to have regained their friendship and things had never been more since. Gabriella had thought her college boyfriend Jeremy might be the one. They'd had a strong two-year relationship but when they'd graduated, Gabriella a year early, Jeremy had taken a job across the country and after trying a few months of a long distance relationship, they had ultimately decided it wasn't working. Aside from the distance, Jeremy had begun to develop feelings for a co-worker and wanted to explore those feelings and not lead Gabriella on. Jeremy was a good guy; he just wasn't the right guy. And Ray certainly wasn't. Ray was the one guy in Gabriella's dating history she wished she could erase from it.

She knew better when she met him. Hell, she knew very well...she had assisted his counselor with his treatment plan in the rehab facility that she worked at right out of college. But she was young and he intrigued her. He flirted with her while staying at the rehab, which made her smile but she did her best to maintain boundaries and not give him reason to think anything could develop. But once he'd been out of rehab several weeks, he'd convinced her to share her cell number on one of the follow-up calls she'd been assigned to make to him to check on his recovery progress. They'd talked on the phone and he'd eventually convinced her to hang out. Hanging out led to making out, which led to more. It seemed okay to Gabriella. On some level, it felt professionally wrong and dangerous since patients were not supposed to get into relationships right out of rehab. But it seemed fun and Ray seemed okay, or so she wanted to believe. She wanted to believe that she'd just spent that chunk of her cash and not realized how much she'd spent. She wanted to believe that those other women he chatted with online and on his cell phone really were just part of his network of fellow recovering addicts. Mostly, she wanted to believe that she had not in fact found drug residue in her car, a car she'd let him borrow to attend meetings and go on job interviews, or at least those were the reasons he'd given her. And when, in a drunken and high haze, Ray had left her at a party at which she'd narrowly escaped being drugged and sexually assaulted, and from which Troy had had to rescue her, pommelling some guys and getting pommelled somewhat himself in the process, she so wanted to believe that she had never been stupid enough to get herself into the situation in the first place...

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_Troy hadn't really known about Ray until that night. None of her friends really did and Maria and Carlos certainly didn't. They just knew she was dating someone. She knew they'd question her involvement with him so she'd told them it was a co-worker and that he worked long hours so it was hard for her to introduce him. As Troy drove her home that night after they'd made it out of the party and into his car, the silence was the heaviest silence they'd ever felt between them. Gabriella could read the mix of tension, anger, disappointment, and anxiety emanating from Troy's body. When they got back to Gabriella's apartment, Troy turned off the car and just sat there for a few moments staring forward, not looking at anything in particular. The pain of her best friend's silence became too much and Gabriella choked back a sob as tears welled up in her eyes. Troy sighed and turned to her, speaking in a voice that was too calm & controlled. _

_"Ella, what the hell were you doing there? And don't say it was just a party because that back there was not our type of party."_

_And so she told him...about Ray and who he really was and about the things she'd wanted to believe despite evidence to the contrary. When she finished, Troy got out of the car. Another sob escaped Gabriella's throat before she heard and saw her door open. She climbed out, looking at Troy tentatively, wanting him to say something, anything. He didn't. He pushed her door shut and then turned and walked up the path toward her apartment building. She followed and let them into the building and they walked in silence up to her second floor apartment. Once inside, Troy turned to her abruptly and pulled her to him in a tight embrace. Gabriella let her body relax into him and allowed his strength to keep her upright as her legs felt like jelly. Tears streamed down her face once more, developing into choked sobs again moments later. When they subsided, Troy slowly held her away from him and looked into her eyes so that she could see the remnants of the tear streaks on his own face and the redness in his eyes that matched hers. _

_"Ella," he breathed and then paused and gained more control of his voice. When he spoke again, his voice was deeper, more stern. "Ella, you cannot put yourself in danger like that. You can't. I cannot lose you or let you get hurt. It would kill me."_

_Fresh tears streamed down Gabriella's face seeing the depth of Troy's feeling as he said this._

_"You have to talk to your friends...to me...you have to be more careful. Promise me, Ella. Promise you will. And, this Ray, promise you're done with him, Ella. Please," Troy pleaded._

_Staring into those blue eyes now dark with emotion, those eyes she couldn't refuse, Gabriella nodded her head and, urged on by Troy's searching of her own eyes, managed "I promise, Troy. I'm so, so sorry I didn't tell you and that I got myself into this situation and that I worried you. I'm sorry you had to come and rescue me from it. Thank you so much for being here for me."_

_Troy sighed, with some relief. "I'll always be here for you, Ella." At this, he gently pulled her back into his arms and held her for several more minutes.  
_

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Troy had slept on her couch that night. She'd called Ray the next day and told him she couldn't see him anymore. That had actually gone off without a hitch as Ray was indeed doing more than chatting with those other women Gabriella had brushed off before. Nonetheless, Troy had insisted she change her cell phone number too. Ray had actually never been to Gabriella's apartment and had not really asked where she lived as he'd always had her come to him, so she didn't consider moving or anything. She did consider changing jobs though, as she felt bad about the path she'd explored and the boundaries she'd crossed. She ended up taking a job as a case worker at an AIDS Community Center, where she'd networked with other social workers and eventually found her current position at a good cancer center providing guidance and advocacy for patients and their families. Yes, it had been a road full of learning, but she felt good with where she was now in her career. And, she also wasn't the same young, naive girl.

She'd been more guarded in her dating life since Ray. She had casually seen a few guys for short periods of time...co-workers, a guy she'd met at the gym, and a few that her friends had introduced her to. But no one left her feeling that perfect contentment in their presence. No one just fit. Gabriella sighed thinking about all of these experiences and wondering if the future just held more of the same. She took another sip of her coffee and let her eyes run across the lake's surface once more before pushing herself up off her chair and heading back inside. Once in the kitchen, she started to mix up some pancake batter and to get some bacon cooking. Just as she was stacking the last two pancakes onto a plate, she heard shuffling behind her followed by a yawn.

"Morning, sleepyhead," she said, turning to see a groggy-looking Troy making his way into the kitchen, wearing blue plaid pajama bottoms and a plain white t-shirt.

"Morning, Miss Perky," Troy deadpanned, staring at the bright-eyed woman in front of him, in her equally bright and cheerful pink pajama set.

Gabriella giggled a little. "Troy, there's fresh coffee over there," she motioned to the coffee pot, "and I'll have our breakfast ready here in a sec."

Troy grinned at that and made his way over to the counter, pouring himself some coffee and refilling Gabriella's cup for her before carrying both over to the table where Gabriella had already set out two plates, a bowl of fresh strawberries, the plate of pancakes, butter, syrup, and a smaller plate of bacon. They both sat down and started to fill their plates.

"So, how'd you sleep?" Gabriella asked after she'd chewed her first bite.

"Like a baby," Troy said with a smile. "And you?"

"Same," Gabriella replied, taking another bite.

"How are our feathered friends this morning?" Troy asked, tilting his head slightly toward the screen door.

"They're good. Active and singing."

"And did you sing with them?" Troy asked, wiggling his eyebrows a bit.

Gabriella smiled at this. "Not today. Didn't want you to think there was an injured animal outside your window," she replied with a smirk.

Troy chuckled.

They continued in light conversation as they finished their breakfast and proceeded to clean up their dishes.

"So, Ella, what would you like to do now?"

"Why, look at my scrapbook some more, of course!" she exclaimed, grabbing her coffee cup and heading into the living room.

Troy followed suit, smiling. They settled onto the couch and Troy handed her the scrapbook once again. She flipped through the pages until she reached the first layout she hadn't yet seen.

Her eyes lit up, seeing the photos of she and Troy posing in a conservatory by some lovely trees, plants, and an indoor stream, as well as the two of them outside in the snow, with evergreen trees lit with various colored lights behind them. She also saw some ice skaters on a pond and a picture of both of them sitting on a bench, bundled up and sipping on what she remembered was hot cocoa.

"Madison Gardens," she breathed, delight in the memory, "I always loved that place!"

"I know. It's a favorite of mine too," Troy replied. "We had a lot of fun times there."

"Yes, we certainly did. I remember this time in particular, we had a lot of fun having snowball fights and attempting our own daredevil, no skates necessary, ice-skating," Gabriella reminisced with a huge smile.

Troy laughed. "Yeah, sorry there aren't pictures of that, but no one was around then and I don't think we would have wanted to ask them to capture those antics on film."

Gabriella giggled. "No, probably not. We only asked them to take the respectable photos."

"It's fine anyway. If we had had people around us all the time, we wouldn't have gotten to have as many good, private moments as we did," Troy said, sending a soft smile her way.

"True," she said quietly, thinking back...

... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ...

_"Oh, look at that, we're under some mistletoe again," Troy said gleefully pulling Gabriella beneath a sprig hanging from the doorway entrance leading to the next section of the conservatory._

_Gabriella giggled. "You do realize they've decorated the whole place with it, right?"_

_"But, of course. We may have to do a second and third walk through," Troy replied with a huge grin before leaning down and kissing her soundly. _

_When they pulled apart, they continued through the conservatory, stopping to "ooh" and "ah" at various displays. _

_"Oh, it's always so beautiful right here," Gabriella remarked, gazing around the room with the indoor stream, with its fountains and the twinkling white icicle lights hanging from the glass ceiling above. _

_"You're beautiful."_

_"Troy...stop," Gabriella said with a blush._

_"No can do," Troy replied with a smile._

_"Would you two like me to take a picture of you?" asked a kindly-looking elderly woman, who seemed to be taking her grandchildren through the conservatory. _

_"Sure. If you don't mind," replied Gabriella._

_"Not at all," said the older woman, getting instructions from Gabriella on how to work her camera before she and Troy went to pose next to the water, Troy wrapping his arm around Gabriella and resting his head against hers. _

_They thanked the nice woman after she had handed back Gabriella's camera. As she moved on with her grandchildren, Troy reached into his pocket and pulled out some spare change, handing a coin to Gabriella. _

_"Let's make our wishes while we're here," he said. _

_Gabriella smiled back at him before closing her eyes, making a wish, and tossing her coin over her shoulder and into the water. Troy did the same. _

_Opening their eyes, they smiled at each other for a moment before turning to continue on their walk. Troy's eyes lit up and a smirk formed on his face. He nearly skipped over to the next doorway leading to the next section of the conservatory. _

_"What?" Gabriella asked with a humored look on her face._

_"I got my wish."_

_"What do you mean?"_

_Troy smiled at her and glanced upward. Gabriella followed his lead and looked above Troy's head. "I wished for more mistletoe," Troy said chuckling._

_Gabriella laughed. "What am I going to do with you, Bolton?"_

_"You're going to shut up and get over here and kiss me, Montez." _

_And she did just that._

_After they'd made their way through the conservatory and had stepped once again into the cold outside air, they turned to walk across the large balcony overlooking the large garden area below. The area itself was now covered with several inches of snow. The trees sprinkling the area all had different colored lights decorating them, from blues to purples, to the traditional reds and greens. Gabriella and Troy looked down on the scene just enjoying the moment. After a few minutes, Gabriella shivered a little. Troy reached over and put his arm around her, rubbing his hand up and down her arm a little._

_"Want some hot cocoa?" he asked._

_"Mmmm...that sounds good."_

_Troy smiled at her before heading off toward the vendor at the other side of the balcony. He returned in a few minutes with two hot cocoas and a big sugar cookie. They moved toward a bench and sat down to enjoy the goodies. A garden employee, seeing how sweet they looked bundled up and snuggled next to each other sipping their hot cocoa, had offered to take their picture and they had once again happily agreed, joking afterward that they should move to Hollywood since they apparently looked like they were made to be captured on film. After sitting for a while, they decided to take a walk through the tree area below. Pretty soon, however, the soft snow at their feet became too much of a temptation. _

_"Troy Bolton! Seriously, didn't your mother ever teach you that you shouldn't hit girls?!" Gabriella yelled nervously, peeking around the evergreen tree she was hiding behind, trying to locate Troy. They'd begun a snowball fight a few minutes ago and were now hiding from one another plotting their next moves._

_"Ella, first of all, I don't think snowballs count and second of all, given our karate days, you don't get to play the 'I'm a weak, defenseless girl' card," Troy shouted back._

_Gabriella paused, considering this for a moment and deciding he had a point. "Fine! But, still, do we really want to spend our time pelting each other with snowballs?" _

_There was no answer. Gabriella scanned the other trees again waiting to catch a glimpse of Troy's navy coat._

_"Come on, Troy. Where are you?"_

_"Right behind you," Troy said, a glint in his eye as Gabriella spun around to see him standing before her, a second before he smashed a big snowball onto the top of her head._

_"Aaaaah," Gabriella yelped at the cold, wet sensation on her head before reaching up to swipe the remainder of the snow from her hair. Troy laughed before turning to run in the opposite direction. _

_Snapping out of her surprised moment, Gabriella tossed the snowball she'd been holding at her mischievous boyfriend, smiling triumphantly as it landed with a thud against his own head. _

_"Ow!" he cried out, more in surprise than anything. He hadn't expected her to react fast enough to hit him before he ducked behind some trees again. He wiped the snowball remnants from his hair and turned around to glare at his girlfriend, who was doubled up with laughter at the moment._

_"Geez, Ella! You have quite the arm. You didn't have to aim for the head though."_

_"Whatever...Troy..." Gabriella got out between laughs, "You got me in the head."_

_"Yeah, but I mooshed it into your hair; I didn't curve ball it into your head," Troy replied, smiling despite himself._

_"Oh! Poor baby! Shall I kiss it and make it better?" Gabriella teased. _

_"Yes. I think that's the least you can do," Troy smirked._

_Gabriella closed the distance between them and pulled Troy's head down to her lips, placing a quick kiss on the top of his head, being sure to make a dramatic smacking sound as she did so. _

_Troy gave her a lopsided grin. "I think some flying debris from the snowball hit my lips too," he remarked slyly. _

_"Mmmm...I'm sure," replied Gabriella as she wrapped her arms around Troy's neck and brought her lips up to meet his in a simple kiss. Pulling away, she gave him a soft smile before a thought crossed her mind and she pulled away, looking down at her watch. "Crap! Troy, let's go," she said grabbing his hand and starting to run across the field toward a path to the side. "If we don't hurry, we'll miss the ice skating show!"_

_Troy laughed at her eagerness and happily ran alongside her until they reached the outdoor ice skating rink and quickly found seats on the surrounding bleachers, a few minutes before the show started.  
_

... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ...

"You really loved those ice skating shows," Troy said with a smile.

"They always looked so graceful. With the music playing and the lights all around them. I don't know...it was like a true winter wonderland scene," Gabriella replied.

"They had to be freezing out there."

"Oh, I don't know...I think they were just in the zone, doing what they loved and that kept them warm enough."

"Perhaps."

Gabriella chuckled as another memory ran through her head. "Of course, I enjoyed your ice show the best that day."

Troy laughed, the image of his younger self trying to impress Gabriella passing through his own mind.

... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ...

_Gabriella sighed. "I so love seeing the skaters."_

_"Obviously...you make me sit through a show every two hours!" Troy teased, earning a half-hearted glare from Gabriella. "I'll prove it to you when we get the pictures back that you make people take of us at each show. I'm telling you, the time stamps will show I'm right."_

_"Hmmph. I like having nice pictures of us and I have to kill the time we spend waiting for the show to start. You should feel privileged to be photographed with me," Gabriella remarked, turning her head and raising her nose a bit in mock snootiness._

_"Oh, but I do," Troy replied, grinning and squeezing her hand, causing her to turn her head back to him and return the grin._

_They were walking down another path away from the ice skating show area. The sun was much lower in the sky, as it was now late afternoon and sunset was approaching. After walking a while, they spotted a small frozen pond up ahead of them, off to the right of the path at the bottom of the small hill they were descending. Troy smirked as an idea formed in his head. When they got to the bottom of the hill, he let go of Gabriella's hand and walked toward the pond, carefully stepping onto it, testing its solidity under his weight. As it seemed to hold him fine after several moments, he ventured further out, sliding his feet along the surface, mimicking the gliding movements of the ice skaters they had seen not long ago. Gabriella watched him wearily, keeping an eye on the ice below his feet and holding her breath hoping it would hold. _

_Troy got to the center of the pond and turned around to look at her, holding his hands out in her direction._

_"No way, Troy!" Gabriella called out to him._

_"Come on, Ella! It's solid and sturdy. You'll be fine."_

_"You're crazy, you know that!"_

_"Yep!" Troy responded cheerfully, still trying to motion her out to him with his arms._

_Gabriella glanced at Troy, then down at the ice, still shaking her head "no."_

_Troy laughed and started to attempt a less than graceful twirl on the ice, nearly falling over and having to put his hand down to keep himself from face planting on the ice. _

_Gabriella put her hands up to her mouth, giggling at his antics. He tried again to push off from his spot and try another move, extending a leg behind him, heading back in Gabriella's direction. This was working okay until he started to pick up speed and ended up letting the snow bank stop his forward progress, causing Gabriella to chortle further with laughter._

_"Easy for you to laugh there from the sidelines, Montez," Troy challenged her._

_Smiling and shooting another uncertain glance toward the ice, Gabriella took a deep breath and made a small step, placing one foot gingerly onto the ice. Seeing this, Troy moved over to her and reached out to take her hands, as she slowly brought her other foot onto the ice. Smiling down at her, Troy slowly moved them backwards more toward the center of the pond. Gabriella alternated looking down at their feet and looking back up at Troy._

_"You know, Troy, if you really want to ice skate, maybe we should try going somewhere with actual ice skates sometime," Gabriella said, amusement lacing her voice._

_"Now, what fun would that be?" Troy said, looking quite pleased with himself that he'd gotten his way and they were both out on the ice. Stopping toward the center of the pond, Troy lifted one arm and twirled Gabriella slowly. Then, keeping that hand joined with Gabriella's, he started to try to glide around the pond some more. Gabriella tried to mirror his movements and soon found she was enjoying their fake skating. Looking sideways at Troy, and seeing his flushed cheeks and happy expression, she couldn't help but let out a joyous laugh of her own. At this moment, she felt a wet sensation on her nose, which was quickly followed by the same sensation on her cheek. She looked up, only to have a snowflake land on her eyelash, causing her to blink for a second. Troy smiled over at her, having noticed the snow that had begun to fall as well. Recognizing the beauty of the moment, he slowed to a stop and went to pull Gabriella to him. She smiled softly at him, but that smile swiftly changed to a look of horror as both heard a cracking sound and looked down to see a crack beginning to form on the ice just a few feet away from them. As it started to spread, Troy quickly glanced at Gabriella before tightening his grip on her and turning and doing his best to run across the ice, pulling Gabriella with him. As they approached the bank, Troy put his arm around Gabriella's waist and jumped the remaining distance, causing them to land on the snow-covered bank on their sides, facing each other, Troy's arm still wrapped around Gabriella's waist. They looked back at the pond to see that the ice had cracked all the way to the shore and that water had begun to seep through rapidly, before looking at each other for a while, stunned by the moment. Then, as the shock wore off and they started to imagine how comical they must have looked leaping toward the shore like they did, their lips started to twitch and their shoulders began to shake until they finally burst out with laughter._

_Gasping for breath as their laughter subsided, Troy remembered what he'd been about to do before they heard the terrifying sound of the ice cracking. As they regained their breath, they smiled widely at each other before Troy moved one hand to brush some hair out of Gabriella's eyes, so he could better stare into them. After doing so for a few moments, he slowly leaned in and joined their lips in a slow, sweet kiss. Gabriella brought her own hand up to run it through Troy's hair, as she leaned into him further, enjoying the kiss and their closeness as they lay there next to the pond. Lying there, holding Gabriella close to him as their lips did their own slow dance, feeling the soft wet snowflakes land on them every few seconds and sensing the fading light as the sun made its descent beyond the treeline, Troy knew this was the right time and place to express to Gabriella what he'd been feeling for some time now. He slowly eased back from their kiss, allowing his lips to linger against hers for a few seconds more before completely separating them. Gabriella slowly opened her eyes and gazed at him, eyes sparkling and cheeks flushed. He couldn't imagine anyone looking more beautiful. Gabriella couldn't imagine a moment feeling more perfect...and then Troy spoke..._

_"Ella," he said huskily, gazing into her eyes, "I love you."_

_Gabriella's heart skipped a beat. He loved her. She gazed back lovingly into his eyes, those deep pools of blue. "I love you too, Troy."_

_Troy's heart felt so full. He thought he might burst from happiness. The two smiled at each other widely before Troy leaned in again and captured her lips in a spine-tingling kiss. The two stayed right where they were for a little while longer, just enjoying each other's embrace, the feel of each other's body heat keeping them warm right there in the cold snow, and the love they were communicating silently now through their kisses. Finally, with the darkness beginning to surround them, they eased themselves up off the bank and made their way, hand-in-hand, back up the path and toward the field of evergreen trees they'd been having their snowfight in earlier so they could enjoy the tree lights at night for a little longer before heading back home.  
_

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Gabriella gazed down at the pages in front of her, smiling at the memory of that love-filled day. She'd be lying if she said she hadn't thought back to that day and quite a few days during her romantic relationship with Troy fairly often. When she thought about the love she sought in life, the love her grandmother had spoken to her of, she knew that was as close as she'd ever come. But she also viewed those experiences as wonderful memories from the past. She knew many years had passed now and she and Troy had grown up and had both had their share of relationship experiences since. She valued their friendship more than anything and while thoughts of being more than friends once again had crossed her mind, she figured Troy didn't really think of her in that way anymore and just valued their great friendship as well.

Troy breathed in and out quietly, taking in the dreamy and thoughtful expressions that were crossing Gabriella's face. He wondered if she ever missed those times like he did. He knew instinctively that the moments he'd captured in her scrapbook were some of the best moments of his life. Having dated quite a few women since he and Gabriella had broken up and having never really found himself as connected to them as he was to Gabriella, Troy wondered if there was something to that. Every time he'd written off a date or seen a relationship come to an end, he'd somehow compared the woman to Gabriella, whether it was that she just didn't make him laugh like Gabriella or that she only looked at his outside and didn't seem to look deeper or that she didn't challenge him in ways that Gabriella did. He'd always just figured that Gabriella, as his best friend, helped him to know what type of woman he was searching for and would ultimately want to share his life with...but what if she wasn't just someone to help him realize these necessary qualities...what if she was that person...the one?

Gabriella turned her head and noticed Troy studying her. Looking into his eyes, she almost thought she could see that same intensity she'd seen that day on the snow bank. For a few moments, she was mesmerized by what she thought she might be seeing. Then, reminding herself that she was probably just remembering that day all too clearly, she snapped herself out of her quiet gaze and looked back down at the scrapbook for a moment.

"We lucked out that day. We could have ended up going for a pretty chilly swim," she said lightly with a laugh, trying to break the silence. She smiled quickly up at Troy before turning her head to look out the living room window to see the sun shining brightly through the trees outside.

Troy noticed this and put a stop to his confusing thoughts, unsure whether he wanted to continue them at some later point or not. Seeing the bright sun outside, Troy had an idea.

"Speaking of going for a swim, how 'bout it?" he asked, inclining his head backwards in the direction of the lake.

Gabriella smiled at the suggestion. "Okay, Troy. Sounds good. I'll go change," she said shutting the scrapbook and placing it back down on the coffee table before heading down the hallway to her room.

Troy hopped up from the couch and went to his room to get changed as well.

While they were changing, they both tried to shake off the thoughts they'd been having and how those thoughts were making them feel. They both tried to just focus on their friendship and going outside and having some fun in the warm sunshine. They might have laughed at themselves if they had seen how they were mirroring each other in their respective rooms and in their respective minds...

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AUTHOR'S NOTE: Okay, some deep down responsible part of myself tells me I should add here that this chapter is not meant to encourage anyone to go and try to glide across random icy ponds, as it could end badly. Alright, now that that's off my conscience...LOL...what do you think? In sugar shock from all their sickening sweetness? I'm quite the fan of sugar. ;-) Anyway, hope you enjoyed it. Feel free to review and tell me your thoughts. Have a great day!


	6. Pesky Crock Pots

**Looking Back to Move Forward**

SUMMARY: Troy and Gabriella have been friends for 11 years, best friends. They've even been more, but circumstances years ago led them to end their romance and revert back to just being friends. But will one special weekend of reminiscing about their lives and the memories they've shared remind them of the one thing that they're both missing? M for adult situations/subject matter and sexual references/depictions.

DISCLAIMER: I do not own these wonderful characters...I just love them like the rest of you. :-)

AUTHOR'S NOTE: Howdy! I realize this seems like a really random chapter title, but, well...read on...you'll understand. It's quite a bit more interesting than crock pots...I think. LOL. Anyway, plenty of water activity in this chapter...and the next...there's something about water and these two...or maybe I just like thinking about Zac Efron wet...hmmm... Well, in any event, hope you enjoy it. And, thank you all for reading, and particular thanks to those who have left such lovely reviews! They just make my day. :-D

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Chapter 6 – Pesky Crock Pots

After a few minutes, both stepped out of their rooms and met up in the hallway. Gabriella was wearing a plain black bikini and Troy had on some black and red swim trunks. They smiled at each other and headed toward the kitchen, exiting onto the deck through the screen door and walking down onto the grass and toward the water. All of a sudden, Gabriella stopped in her tracks, uttering a "Darn!" and starting to turn around slowly.

"What's wrong?" Troy asked.

"Nothing much...I just forgot to grab towels for us," she replied.

"Hey. Why don't you continue on? I can go back in for the towels," Troy offered.

"Thanks, Troy. If you don't mind..."

"Not at all," he said giving her a smile and a small wink before turning around and heading back toward the house.

Gabriella continued along the grass toward the water, pausing before deciding she wanted to walk out onto the dock rather than walk directly toward the water's edge.

Troy watched her from just inside the screen door after he'd gathered up the towels and also thought to throw a few things into a tote bag like some bottled waters, a bottle of sunscreen so they could reapply, and Gabriella's book, she'd left lying in the kitchen in case she wanted to read some more when they were down there. He watched how gracefully she moved her toned, tanned body. He watched how the light breeze swept through her hair, hair that the sun's light was bouncing off of with every move. He saw the thoughtful look cross her face briefly as he watched her decide on the dock versus where the water met the land. Everything about her was beautiful. Even thinking of her as just a friend for many of their years together, he'd never denied this truth. Soaking her in for another moment, he then shook himself a bit and proceeded to carry their items outside and to walk toward the dock.

Gabriella stared out at the serene water, lapping against the dock gently. She wondered if she'd ever stand at the end of this dock, watching the sun set or looking at the stars above with the man she loved, a man who was her soul mate, who she would vow to spend the rest of her life loving. She thought of looking on and seeing her grandparents do these things in this very same spot when she was just a child. She closed her eyes and just breathed in and out, listening to the water and the breeze and feeling as though they were standing here with her.

As Troy approached the dock, he quietly laid down the towels and tote bag in a spot far enough from the water but close enough to be easily accessible to them later. He stepped up onto the dock and noticed Gabriella had closed her eyes and had a contemplative look on her face. He saw the soft rise and fall of her chest as she breathed in the fresh air. He didn't want to disturb her quiet moment, but at the same time, he wanted to see a bright smile spread across her face again and he wanted to hear the melodic sound of her laughter. Thinking about this, he silently crept toward her and a grin began to spread across his own face.

Before Gabriella knew what was happening, she felt herself being scooped up into strong arms. Her eyes flew open and met Troy's and she saw the evil grin on his face.

"Trooyy," she said drawing his name out warily.

"Eellaa," he mocked her, drawing her name out as well and smirking back at her.

"Um, what are you doing?"

"You look like you're ready to take a dip."

"Uh...not yet. I...uh...think I'm just going to enjoy the sun a bit before getting in," she said, raising an eyebrow at Troy almost questioningly at the end of that statement.

Troy just smirked back at her, slowly moving his head from side to side.

Gabriella looked from Troy to the water and back again. She would have really savored the feel of being held in those strong arms if she wasn't looking ahead to what she knew was inevitable. And, just to confirm her suspicions, at that moment, Troy held her to him a bit tighter and took a running leap, sending them both into the lake.

Gabriella yelped as she surfaced, feeling the cold wash over her, and pushing her hair back so it wasn't hanging in her face. Opening her eyes, she saw Troy had surfaced and was moving his own hair out of his eyes, just a few feet away from her. Getting a determined look in her eyes, she swiftly swam in his direction and lunged at him, dunking his unsuspecting self back under the water, laughing at her own sweet revenge. Troy came back up sputtering a bit before cracking open an eye in Gabriella's direction and holding up his hands in the sign of a truce. Gabriella narrowed her eyes at him playfully.

"Bolton, you're evil!" she exclaimed, treading water and shivering a little bit more.

"Just helping you along, Ella. Didn't want you to miss out on the refreshing water."

"Uh, huh," Gabriella said dryly, unconvinced, but feeling giddy nonetheless that they were out here in the water, being playful with one another. Giving Troy a smile, she turned and started to swim away from the dock, eventually turning from her stomach onto her back and just floating for a while, letting the warm sun beat down on her and warm her up. Troy followed suit and they both floated together for a while, talking about their lives, their friends' lives, and general topics.

"I think Sharpay and Zeke may start trying to have a baby soon," Gabriella contributed, before wincing a bit at a memory of her own.

"Oh, wow...do you think if they have a boy, she'll still insist on surrounding him with a pink explosion of a nursery?" Troy asked, a smile gracing his face at the thought.

"Knowing Sharpay...yeah, Zeke better keep her away from the nursery as best he can," Gabriella replied chuckling.

"What about Kelsi and Jason?"

"Um...I don't think they're thinking about that yet. I think Kelsi's just hoping all goes smoothly for the wedding next Spring."

"Sounds like a good plan. Jason's just lucky to have Kelsi. She's so patient with him, even when he's so thick."

"Yeah, well, you're all thick at times," Gabriella joked, reaching out her hand to poke Troy lightly in the arm. "It must come with being a guy...but, Jason's got a great heart, and Kelsi's always been able to see that."

"Yeah, he's a good guy," remarked Troy, shrugging off the comment about being thick, seeing Gabriella's contented smile and figuring there wasn't any deeper message she was sending with that comment.

"It's been fun helping to plan the wedding," Gabriella added. "Kelsi's composing the music she wants to walk down the aisle to."

Troy smiled. "Not surprising. Girl's got talent."

"Indeed."

They floated in silence a few moments more.

"Anyway, it's nice to be helping Sharpay think about motherhood and Kelsi plan for her wedding and, well, Taylor and Chad work on building their dream home. It's great to see all their dreams coming true." Gabriella paused. "Plus it helps that they're all too distracted to be worrying about me and whether or not they'll ever get to help me plan such things," she said with a short, sardonic laugh.

"What do you mean, Ella?"

"Oh, nothing...don't mind me. It's just that when they do have too much time on their hands, they're often trying to rack their brains to think about the handsome vet they take their dog to who happens to be single or the new lawyer in Taylor's firm, who isn't seeing anyone seriously and has a promising future," Gabriella said with a small smile.

"Yeah. Don't know if this comforts you at all, but Chad and Jason suggest I ask out the team's physical therapist or cute hostess at the Steak & Ale restaurant we go to all the time."

Gabriella laughed at this. "Really? So, we're both their projects?"

" 'T'would seem so, Ella," he responded glancing over at her with a grin.

She returned the grin and sighed before contracting her abs so that she could maneuver herself into an upright position again. Troy did the same and she gave him a challenging look, tilting her head toward the dock and cocking one eyebrow.

"Oh, you're in for it, Montez."

"Bring it, Bolton," was Gabriella's response before she quickly turned and started to swim toward the dock with as much speed as she could muster. Reacting just as quickly, Troy did the same and they raced toward the dock side by side. In the end, Troy touched the dock just moments before Gabriella reached it. Treading water, and catching their breaths, they smiled at each other.

"No fair, Troy, your arms are longer...you can get further faster."

"Hey...you know this, yet you still challenged me," Troy shot back at her with mirth in his voice.

"Hmmmph! Fine," Gabriella said with mock indignation. "So, time to dry off and head inside?"

"Yeah. Sounds good."

And, with that, they turned and swam more leisurely toward the shore, climbing out and making their way over to where Troy had dropped the towels. Troy handed one to Gabriella and she spread it out, lying down to dry off in the sun. Troy lay down beside her and handed her a bottled water. She smiled at his forethought and took a long gulp. Then, Troy popped the top open on the sunscreen bottle and poured some into his hands, motioning for Gabriella to turn her back to him. She did so, lifting her hair up so that he could reapply the sunscreen on her back and shoulders. She closed her eyes as he did so, enjoying his firm but gentle touch and doing her best to ignore the sensations running through her. She chalked it up to it just being some time since a man had touched her. She'd broken up with Brent shortly after Troy had left on his trip, so it had been several months.

Troy enjoyed the feel of her soft skin beneath his hands, more than he cared to admit. He chalked it up to just being male and human. When he'd finished, he handed her the bottle so she could redo her front side. She did so quickly and squeezed some into Troy's hands so he could do the same, before making him turn around so she could see to his back and shoulders. Running her fingers across those broad, smooth, muscular shoulders and down that sculpted back, Gabriella couldn't help but admire the man sitting in front of her. Thinking back to when she'd first met him, Gabriella smiled. He'd always been handsome and built, but his looks had only improved tenfold as the years went by.

Troy thought Gabriella might have been taking extra long on his back, but he wasn't complaining. He always felt so comfortable emotionally and physically with Gabriella, so he didn't really question his enjoyment of her touch too much.

When Gabriella finished, they both lay down on their towels and dried off, soaking up some sun in the process and allowing themselves to rest quietly a bit. After lying on both their stomachs and their backs for a while, they both revived themselves slowly and then made their way back up to the house and went inside.

"So, hungry again yet?" Gabriella asked.

"What do you think?" Troy replied with a grin.

Gabriella grinned back before heading over to the refrigerator and poking her head inside. By this time, it was actually about 4 O'Clock. She hadn't realized how much time they'd spent outside. She popped back out holding a package displaying two steaks.

"Early dinner?" she asked.

Troy smiled brightly at her, his eyes lighting up when he spotted the steaks. "Definitely!"

Gabriella giggled and put the steaks back into the fridge for the time being. She grabbed two potatoes from the cupboard and proceeded to wash, butter, and sprinkle them with salt and pepper before wrapping them in foil and handing them over to Troy.

"I took care of breakfast. You get to take care of dinner," she ordered playfully.

"Like I'd let you near the grill, woman," Troy joked back, earning him a light pinch on the arm from Gabriella.

"Whatever, Bolton. Hey...I'm gonna go get showered and changed, okay?"

"Yep. I've got this."

And, with that, Gabriella headed down the hall to the bathroom, where she twisted the faucet turning on the water in the shower. She heard the screen door thump shut and raised a hand to slightly pull back the curtain covering the small window above the bath tub. She peeked out and saw Troy setting up the grill. Letting the curtain close, she stepped back and stripped off her bathing suit, hanging it up over the edge of the tub to dry. The heat in the bathroom was becoming a bit oppressive with the warmth of the day and the warmth of the hot water coming from the shower. Condensation was already forming on the mirror above the sink, and as Gabriella often did since the bathroom window was actually painted shut, she cracked the bathroom door the tiniest bit to help allow some extra air circulation in the small bathroom. Knowing Troy was busy out on the deck, she didn't think much of this. She moved to open the glass shower door and stepped inside, letting the hot water run down over her body, relaxing under the stream. She sighed as she started to lather her hair with shampoo, massaging it into her scalp and then proceeding to rinse it from her hair. She continued on with conditioner and then reached for her shower gel and her washcloth, proceeding to lather her body with the soothing lavender scent.

Troy had taken the potatoes and gone out to the deck to fire up the grill and start them baking. He was just about to head back inside when he heard someone calling to him. He looked over the deck railing and saw a gentleman approaching. The gentleman said he was Gabriella's neighbor from down the road and that his wife had sent him over to pick up the crock pot Gabriella had said his wife could borrow for a large family gathering she was hosting. She needed an extra and Gabriella rarely used hers. This became evident to Troy as he left the man outside to go search for the crock pot and didn't see it sitting anywhere obvious. He then started to rummage through cupboards, questioning whether or not he knew just what a crock pot looked like. Having no luck after a few minutes, he peeked outside and held up a finger asking the man to wait another minute while he searched. He made his way down the hall toward the bathroom. Seeing the door cracked open, he figured Gabriella was probably done with her shower now anyway and figured she must be decently wrapped in a towel or her robe or something for her to have the door open. Approaching the door, he reached out and rapped his knuckles on it lightly, causing the door to swing further open, revealing a not decently covered Gabriella standing in the shower still lathering her body up with her shower gel. Troy stood there, mouth agape, eyes widening, taking in her silky, wet appearance. He watched her glide the washcloth up and down her arms and caught a glimpse of the curve of her breast as she did so. His eyes ran down her body, taking in the rest of her curves and the water streaming down her slender thighs. He willed himself to look away, to turn and head back into the hallway before she spotted him, but it was like his feet were made of lead and he couldn't move from that spot. With the water running and Gabriella humming softly to herself, she hadn't heard Troy's soft knock or the door's movement or Troy's feet entering the room. She did, however, sense a change to the air in the room. Pondering this, she caught a glimpse of blue out of the corner of her eye and turned, almost languorously, before realization dawned on her...the blue she saw was the blue of Troy's wide eyes as he stared at her. Gabriella gasped and this broke Troy's spell. He glanced up at her shocked face and then quickly turned his body away so that it was facing back toward the hallway.

"Wha-wha-what are you doing in here?" Gabriella sputtered, feeling the heat creep up her entire exposed body.

Troy felt a similar heat creep up his body, particularly up his neck and into his cheeks. "I, uh, I'm sorry, Ella. It's just you had the door partly open and I figured that meant you were decent and I had to ask, um, your neighbor's here to pick up the crock pot you promised...I searched in the kitchen but I haven't been able to find it. Wh-where is it?"

It took a moment for this to register with Gabriella and then she remembered promising Barbara she could borrow the crock pot and she also remembered putting it out under the hall table by the front door, so it'd be ready to go when Barbara sent Rick over to pick it up. Taking a shaky breath, she instructed Troy on where to find it and watched as his back disappeared out the bathroom door and he closed the door behind him.

Well, that was awkward and unexpected, she thought.

Outside the door, Troy tried to take a breath to compose himself. All he could see was the vision of Ella glistening just now in the shower and he had to fight his body to keep it from responding further to that vision. Shaking himself a bit, he turned and walked down the hall toward the table by the front door, mentally kicking himself for not looking in this direction before going to the bathroom to ask Gabriella. He now saw the crock pot beneath the table in a clearly marked box. He picked it up and took it out back and handed it over to Rick, who thanked him and headed back off toward his own house with it.

Gabriella finished her shower and grabbed her towel, drying off some before wrapping it securely around her body and venturing into the hallway. She glanced to her right, half-expecting to see Troy standing there, but she was only met with a view of the empty hallway. Letting out the breath she realized she'd been holding, she turned toward her bedroom, wondering if that slight drop in her stomach indicated relief or disappointment…


	7. What the Hell?

**Looking Back to Move Forward**

SUMMARY: Troy and Gabriella have been friends for 11 years, best friends. They've even been more, but circumstances years ago led them to end their romance and revert back to just being friends. But will one special weekend of reminiscing about their lives and the memories they've shared remind them of the one thing that they're both missing? M for adult situations/subject matter and sexual references/depictions.

DISCLAIMER: I do not own these wonderful characters...I just love them like the rest of you. :-)

AUTHOR'S NOTE: Heh! Heh! Glad you guys enjoyed the little shower mishap. ;-) Thank you again for the lovely reviews and to those who have added me and this story under various alerts! I could be lovely and respond to everyone, but I thought a better way to thank you might be to just post the next chapter. :-) While last chapter was a bit "revealing" in one way, this one starts to be in some other ways. So, read on, review, mentally smack them...or me...LOL! Enjoy!

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Chapter 7 – What the Hell?

When Gabriella returned to the kitchen, now fully dressed in a pair of light-colored skinny jeans and a mink-colored Grecian flutter tank (picture in profile), she looked out toward the deck and saw Troy out there seasoning the steaks. He had his back to her...a blessing as Gabriella was still preparing herself to go out and face him and do her best to laugh off what had happened minutes ago. Taking a deep breath, Gabriella grabbed two beers from the fridge, popped off the tops, and pushed open the screen door to join Troy on the deck. Hearing the door open and swing shut, Troy bit his lip briefly and inhaled before turning slowly to see a tentatively smiling Gabriella walking up to him, her outstretched arm handing a bottle of beer over to him. He smiled at her gratefully, accepting the beer and taking a swig. She did the same, looking away from him and toward the lake. After a few moments of silence, Troy cleared his throat.

"So, um, again, I'm sorry about...in there," he said, his head motioning toward the bathroom window, an abashed look on his face.

Gabriella turned so that her eyes met his, the color rising in her cheeks again. "Really, it's okay, Troy. It's my bad...it's just that I'm used to cracking the door to let some of the heat out since it's such a small room and I just didn't really think anything of it. And, besides, it's not like...I mean...well, you've seen it all before anyway," she finished, suddenly finding her feet to be very interesting.

"Uh, yeah...true...I didn't think of it that way...but, um, I just...wasn't trying..." Troy finished lamely.

"Sure, Bolton...I know I'm hot, but try to control yourself" Gabriella said with an eye roll and a nervous laugh, trying to lighten the mood.

It worked. Troy grinned at her before raising his right hand up to his forehead in a saluting gesture and saying "Aye, aye, captain...I shall do my best."

At this, they both laughed and then continued to converse with their normal ease returning rapidly. Troy left Gabriella to go grab a quick shower himself and she set about making a salad to go with their meal. When Troy returned, wearing jeans and a dark grey button-down shirt, he put the steaks on to cook and sat out on the deck talking with Gabriella until they were done. Then, they set about enjoying their meal as they watched the sun descend and the sky fill with magnificent hues of pink, orange, and violet.

"So, Troy, what's next now that your stint with the World Team is over?"

"Good question. Well, I have some time until we start really picking it up again to get in shape for this year's regular season. I want to do something worthwhile with the time and the money I've earned. I was thinking of maybe setting up some fund or working with some organization that helps kids. I don't know. Just something. And, I really did enjoy visiting all those kids during our tour."

"Troy, that sounds like a great thing to do. Did you have any specific organization in mind or anything?"

"Not really. Any ideas?"

"Well, I'm sure there are lots of organizations that would love to have your help. You could spread around your time and donations or just go with one or two. If you're interested in working with any childhood cancer patients, I can put you in touch with some of my contacts at Make-a-Wish and the Childhood Cancer Foundation. I also still have some contacts with the Pediatric AIDS Foundation."

"Ella, that would be great. If you want to give me their numbers or have them call me, I think that would be a good start. I can just kind of see what kind of help is needed most."

"Sounds good, Troy. I'll work on that this coming week. You're a sweetheart, you know that?"

Troy shrugged, tilting his head to the side and shooting her a small smile.

Gabriella smiled back and put her hand out to cover his on the table. "You really are, Troy. I mean that. I'm so glad to see that you haven't changed with your success. It'd be easy to do and a lot of people do, but you're still the same great guy I met all those years ago."

"I try," Troy said, a bit shyly, before adding with a lopsided grin, "besides, I know some people who would kick my butt if I did become a self-absorbed jerk." Having said this, Troy flipped over the hand that was still covered by Gabriella's hand so he could give hers a squeeze.

Gabriella looked down at their joined hands with a smile. "Darn right, Bolton. Don't you forget it," she teased.

"Never," Troy responded sincerely.

Finishing up their meal, they tidied up the deck table and carried their dishes inside, where they began washing them.

"I can't believe you still don't have a dishwasher out here," Troy remarked.

"Grandpa never cared much for them and I guess I just don't mind doing the dishes by hand either."

"Yeah...guess it's not so bad...kind of fun actually," Troy said before reaching his hand into the suds-filled sink that Gabriella currently had her hands submerged in and patting a glob of suds onto Gabriella's nose with a huge smile.

Gabriella gasped slightly and narrowed her eyes on Troy. "Oh, pleased with yourself, are you Bolton?" she said before returning the favor and dotting his nose, chin, and cheeks with suds.

Troy smirked back at her. "You shouldn't have done that, Montez," he said menacingly.

Gabriella's eyes grew wide as she watched him dip both hands into the suds, before removing them and flicking suds all over her.

Gabriella gasped louder this time, blinking her eyes, suds now on her eyelids. "Oh, that's it, Bolton," she threatened, grabbing the extendable faucet hose from the side of the sink and pointing it at him.

"Um, Ella," Troy started backing up a little and holding his hands up in front of him. That's all he managed to get out before he felt himself being sprayed in the face with water.

Seeing Troy sputter behind the water, Gabriella swiftly stopped spraying him and let the hose retract back into the sink as she doubled over with laughter at his surprised and now quite wet appearance. His hands were still sudsy, water was dripping from his hair, and his shirt was clinging to him. Gabriella knew she must also look a mess with suds spotting her face, hair and clothing. She didn't care though. The last few minutes just felt so fun and comfortable.

Troy eyed up his hysterically laughing friend, amusement spreading within him as well. He took in her suds-covered appearance, her left hand clutching the sink while her right clutched at her stomach as she shook with laughter. He couldn't help but laugh with her.

"Ahem! Doing the dishes with you is a dangerous business, Ella."

Gabriella, doing a poor job of ceasing her laughter, stared back at Troy and said with as much seriousness as she could put into her voice "Well, Troy...I didn't want to tell you but...you stink...you needed another shower." Having said this, she smirked at him before breaking out into a laugh again.

Hearing this, Troy pursed his lips, nodded his head as if making a decision, and proceeded to lunge forward and start attacking her sides with his hands. Gabriella was extremely ticklish, always had been, a fact Troy knew quite well. Instinctively, she moved her hands to try to move his, laughing, shrieking, and gasping for breath all the while. Troy loved the sound and the feel of her squirming body beneath his hands. It just filled him with a joy he couldn't exactly explain. This was just...this was life being good. That's the best way he could describe it.

Somewhere in the midst of Gabriella's struggle, she felt her feet flying out from under her. With all of her movement, and the now wet and slippery floor beneath her, she slipped and ended up on her back on the kitchen floor, taking Troy with her in the process, so that he landed on top of her.

"Mmmmmph."

Stunned for a moment, they stared at each other before bursting out into another round of laughter at their predicament. Troy dropped his head onto Gabriella's shoulder as his back shook with laughter, though he did manage to shift his weight a little to his one side and onto his arms so he wasn't crushing Gabriella. As his laughter subsided, Troy slowly raised his head to look down at Gabriella, who was still giggling, her eyes squeezed shut, her nose scrunched up a bit, her lips smiling. Troy's breath caught in his throat. God, she looked beautiful! He just wanted to...lean down and...

Gabriella, sensing Troy's movement, struggled to catch her breath and calm herself. She slowly opened her eyes and what she saw knocked the breath right out of her again. Troy was perched above her, his face just inches from her own, his deep blue eyes locked on her own with an intense look, his lips parted slightly. She could feel his warm breath on her lips and the butterflies started to flutter fiercely in her stomach. The grin on her face faded as she stared back at him, her own lips slightly parted.

Time stood still for a few moments as they stayed in that position, just looking into each other's eyes, not daring to move any further, though they felt the pull to close the distance between them.

'What the hell?' they both thought, the realization that they were acting a bit more than just friendly hitting them then, as they both blinked and started moving to get out of their current position, Troy maneuvering himself into a standing position and reaching his hands down to help Gabriella up. They nervously looked at one another before letting their eyes flit around the room to take in the mess they had created. Sighing, Gabriella grabbed some extra hand towels and started to clean herself up, handing Troy some towels in the process, which he also used. Fixing themselves up somewhat, they turned to wipe up the sink and counter and Gabriella went to grab the mop from the cleaning closet. Troy took it from her and mopped the floor up while she proceeded to actually clean the plates and silverware that they had left in the sink. Finishing up the mopping, Troy turned back to the counter and helped her dry the dishes and put them away. All this was done in silence. As they finished tidying up, they turned toward one another again, and Troy broke the silence.

"Well, that'll teach you to get a dishwasher," he joked softly.

Gabriella allowed herself to let out another laugh at this. "Or at the very least, not to let you help with the dishes," she joked back. "Well, I guess I'm going to go don my pajamas a bit early tonight," she said with a small smile.

Troy chuckled. "Uh, yeah, same here," he said looking down at his shirt pointedly.

Gabriella followed his eyes, taking in the way his shirt was clinging to his muscular chest and rippled abs appreciatively, before looking up to meet his eyes again. He looked back into her eyes like he was trying to read something in them. Not knowing what he might find, as she wasn't sure quite what was going on in her own mind, she turned away abruptly and headed down the hall, hearing Troy's footsteps as he followed her but then turned into his own room.

In their own rooms again, they changed slowly into their pajamas wondering if they had just imagined that moment between them out on the kitchen floor. It felt somewhat surreal. It felt like times long past. Good times. Great times. But, they were past that...they were just friends now and they were happy with that...weren't they? They both sighed, not enjoying their troubling thoughts, and turned to head back out to the living room, willing themselves to go back to acting normal.

Instead of heading into the living room, Gabriella took a detour back into the kitchen. Deciding to keep the night moving along normally, she went to the fridge and pulled out the cheesecake she'd gotten the other day at the store. She cut two slices for them and put the cake back in the fridge, grabbing a container of strawberries and dropping a few on their plates, before also drizzling some strawberry sundae syrup onto their slices. Pleased with her result, Gabriella plopped two forks onto the plates and carried them out into the living room. Troy was sitting on the couch, fidgeting a little with his hands, but looked up, his face lighting up at the sight of his dessert heading towards him. He inwardly smacked himself when the thought 'oh, and the cheesecake too' crossed his mind. 'Crazy mind,' he chided himself, taking the offered plate from her.

Gabriella sat down next to Troy and smiled, lifting her fork and taking a bite of the cheesecake.

"Mmmm...why is all the bad stuff so good?" she joked.

Troy grinned, taking his own bite and sighing at how delicious it tasted.

Again, they started to talk, this time about Zeke and how his new restaurant was coming, since their thoughts of food led them to think about their friend and his culinary talents.

"Do you remember that time at the beach when he was sneaking samples of his desserts into the offices of all the chefs and catering managers at every resort he could get into within a 10 mile radius?"

"Do I remember?" Troy said in a mock tone of disbelief. "Why don't you check the next layout in your scrapbook, Missy?" he added with a smile.

Gabriella returned his smile and set down her now empty plate to pick up her scrapbook and turn the pages to the layout Troy had indicated. There in front of her, she saw pictures of she, Troy, Sharpay, and Zeke standing with Zeke's creations in the kitchen of Sharpay's family beach house, posing outside a few resorts with small dessert boxes in their hands, peeking into resort kitchens, and lounging around on the beach house's deck eating leftover desserts.

"Man, I must have gained like 10 pounds that weekend. Zeke made so much more than he needed!" Gabriella remembered.

"Yeah. I didn't think I'd ever want to look at another pastry or creme brulee after that...luckily, I got over that," Troy added with a smirk.

"Indeed!" Gabriella responded with a giggle.

Her eyes fell back onto a photo on the page showing just she and Troy sitting on the beach, their backs to the camera, looking out at the setting sun hitting the water. Gabriella's head was resting on Troy's shoulder, his arm around her, holding her close. They looked so peaceful. She looked up at Troy to see him smiling.

"I don't remember them taking this picture," she said.

"Me neither..but Sharpay gave it to me when I told her I was making this scrapbook. Actually, everyone contributed some photos for it."

Gabriella smiled at the thoughtfulness of all of her friends and made a mental note to thank them all for their contributions.

"It's nice. We look...content...well, at least our backs look content," she finished with a small laugh.

Troy grinned, nodding his agreement. "We were," he said quietly.

Gabriella glanced at the picture once more before turning the page and pushing back the memory of what else that weekend had held for them.

Troy saw the recognition cross her face before watching her turn the page. He hadn't known if they'd talk more about that weekend when he'd included that layout, but it was an important part of their relationship and he didn't want to just ignore it. At the same time, he didn't want to call it out more directly and risk making Gabriella feel uncomfortable. And, now, given their moment in the kitchen earlier...well, it just seemed good to keep moving through the book.

He let his eyes drift back down to the layout Gabriella was now looking at. There they were decked out in their prom attire, Gabriella in a beautiful midnight blue strapless dress that hugged her curves, Troy in a black tux with a dark blue tie. They were posed with each other smiling at the cameras but there was a certain tension showing between them. Or, at least, they remembered that feeling, so maybe it came across in the photos and maybe it didn't, but they knew it had been there. There were also photos with their whole group posed in their finery, Sharpay's hot pink dress being the obvious standout in these pictures. This made a smile grace Gabriella's face even as she remembered the mixed emotions of that night...

* * *

_  
As she made her way down the stairs, she forced herself to breathe in and out evenly and to place a small smile on her face. No, this was not the way she'd always envisioned her prom night. Well, it was but with one major glitch. In her earlier visions, she and Troy had been together and happy. As she got up enough courage to look up into his eyes as they came into view, she could see that he looked anything but happy and if she would have allowed herself to dwell on her own feelings, she would have had to admit that she was also anything but happy. _

_But, this had to be for the best, didn't it? They had gotten in too deep and they needed to reverse that. It was safer if they were friends. They could always keep that and nothing could ruin that. They would be thinking more about their futures soon and they needed to be able to do so without additional worries arising. They had almost lost that chance. They had gotten carried away and it had almost changed everything irreversibly. That was still too much for Gabriella to process. She knew Troy didn't understand her choice to break things off and go back to being just good friends. But, she couldn't risk going down the same path again. She couldn't risk his promising future. He was as good as recruited to Duke on a full basketball scholarship even though they were still just finishing up their junior year. It was his dream. She couldn't let anything happen to jeopardize that for him. _

_So, she stilled herself and forced her smile to grow a little bigger as she came to the bottom of the stairs and approached him, the pain in her own eyes the only thing belying her outward smiling appearance. They went through the motions of exchanging corsages and boutonnieres and posing for their family to take pictures. The Boltons, Maria, and Carlos, who was also present that night, knew that they had broken up and that they were just still going to junior prom as friends since they had been planning to go together for some time. They didn't understand why they had broken up, and truthfully, like everyone else who knew them, they figured they'd be back together romantically soon enough. But, they weren't. When Gabriella made up her mind and made a decision, she stuck to it, particularly if it was a decision she felt made all the difference to the life of the man she cared about more than anyone else in the world. And, Troy, who loved and respected this woman more than anyone else in the world, had hoped that she would change her mind soon too. As time passed and she didn't, he had just accepted that this must be what she really wanted and he couldn't bear to hurt her further by not respecting her wishes. _

_That night, they had hung out with their friends mostly and had avoided each other to a large extent, except when favorite school couples had been recognized and they'd stared at each other with pain and longing in their eyes as they'd joined the other couples on the dance floor for one recognition dance...one painfully long dance to a painfully slow and poignant love song...I Will Always Love You by Whitney Houston...it was enough to break their friends' hearts as they watched them from the sidelines...saw how Troy held Gabriella close like he hoped he'd never have to let her go and how Gabriella buried her face into his chest, like she hoped not to have to face her decision when the song ended. _

_But it did...and he did...and she did. And, as they say, time did have a lot to do with healing them. That summer, they'd kept busy doing their own things...visits to college campuses, vacations with their families, and working to save up money for the following year. When senior year rolled around, they eased back into each other's lives slowly, seeing each other at the lunch table, in classes, and at friends' parties. They both dated a few people, though they didn't get serious with anyone. When senior prom rolled around, they were once again comfortable friends, going with their respective dates and chatting and taking group photos._

* * *

Turning the page, Gabriella saw that the next layout showed their second prom...she in her silver gown standing next to Andrew...Troy in another black tux, this time with a black vest and bowtie looking debonair standing next to his date, Mandy, who was wearing a long black gown. She smiled at the picture of several of them out on the dance floor doing the Electric Slide in their finery.

"I still don't think I've really ever mastered that dance," Troy interjected quietly, breaking up her reverie.

"Well, Bolton, that's not really that surprising," Gabriella remarked, her lips twitching with amusement.

"Oh, ha ha," Troy replied good-naturedly.

He was glad to feel the air in the room lighten a bit once more. He could tell Gabriella had been thinking about the time surrounding their break up and he had been too. When he looked back, it had still been the hardest time he'd experienced in his life...first, the scare that preceded the decision, then hearing the words come from Gabriella's mouth, then the realization that she wasn't going to change her mind, then the months they'd spent apart, not really acting as friends though they'd said they would. When things between them had finally started to move back in the direction of a comfortable friendship, Troy was so relieved. He knew he couldn't bear to not have her in his life in some way, so if friendship was their destiny, then he'd take it. He admitted to himself though, that he had harbored hope for a long time that they'd end up being more again. But, as their college years progressed and he saw that she was happy with Jeremy and he had been happy with Beth, the idea just kind of faded away. But now, given some of his thoughts and near actions so far this weekend, he wondered if it had faded so far away. Wondering this, he let his mind drift back to why they had separated in the first place...


	8. I Always Will

**Looking Back to Move Forward  
**

SUMMARY: Troy and Gabriella have been friends for 11 years, best friends. They've even been more, but circumstances years ago led them to end their romance and revert back to just being friends. But will one special weekend of reminiscing about their lives and the memories they've shared remind them of the one thing that they're both missing? M for adult situations/subject matter and sexual references/depictions.

DISCLAIMER: I do not own these wonderful characters...I just love them like the rest of you. :-) I also do not own the artists or songs indicated in this chapter.

AUTHOR'S NOTE: Hi all! Okay, break up revelation below...it's not a tremendously creative or earth-shattering reason and I'm sure plenty of you have figured it out already and that's fine, but I did think it was realistic for these two and I honestly think that people break up for a whole slew of reasons that seem right to them at the time. Well, hope it doesn't disappoint...and I kind of suspect you may like the rest of the chapter that follows...so, read on! :-) Oh, and I hope the spacing, font and all aren't too funky because they have been randomly changing on me even though I'm trying to save them a certain way. Sigh. So, hope it's easy enough to read.

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**Previously:**

_She smiled at the picture of several of them out on the dance floor doing the Electric Slide in their finery. _

_"I still don't think I've really ever mastered that dance," Troy interjected quietly, breaking up her reverie. _

_&_

_Wondering this, he let his mind drift back to why they had separated in the first place..._

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Chapter 8 – I Always Will

_"Troy, I'm scared."_

_Troy took a deep breath and squeezed her hand. "Me too, Ella. But...it...it'll be okay...either way."_

_They sat there in Gabriella's room, on her bed, just holding hands and staring off into space, sending their own silent entreaties upward as they waited, the ticking of the bedside clock seeming louder than ever to their ears. _

_After perhaps another minute that felt like 30, Gabriella breathed in and let go of Troy's hand, as she slid off the bed and walked slowly toward her bathroom._

_Troy watched her, holding his own breath as he waited for her return. He didn't have to wait long. Seconds later, Gabriella came bounding back into the room, bouncing up and down, a big grin on her face._

_"It's negative, Troy! It's negative!" she exclaimed, running over to him and jumping into his waiting arms, knocking him backwards on the bed with the force of her hug. Troy rubbed his hands up and down her back and let out the breath he'd been holding, a relieved smile forming on his face._

_"See...I told you it'd be okay," he said quietly._

_Gabriella pulled back and smacked him on the chest lightly. "Shut it, Bolton. This is not the time for 'I told you so'...just hold me, okay?"_

_So, Troy did just that...except, after a few minutes, he started to feel Gabriella stiffen up and then she pulled away from him. The look in her eyes was troubled. _

_"What is it, Ella?" he asked, unsure of himself._

_Gabriella slowly stood up and backed away from him, looking down at her hands. "Troy...I need to think...this is just...I mean, I'm glad it's okay...I just, can you just...I'd like to be alone now."_

_Troy didn't know what to make of this. He knew it had been a lot for both of them to face...the possibility of being pregnant and making tough decisions about their future. He felt relieved they didn't have to make those decisions now. He wasn't sure what Gabriella's concern was now, but it was her body...maybe she just needed to process the whole thing and sleep now that she could do so without worrying. Not knowing what else to do, he complied with her wishes and left her alone, heading back to his own home. _

_The next day when he'd come back to her house to check on her, he'd found Gabriella, eyes puffy and red, sitting on her bed finding it hard to look at him._

_"Ella...what is it?" Troy asked, fear evident in his voice._

_Gabriella sighed. "Troy...I...I think...we need to step back. This was our wake-up call. We're young and we have a lot to think about this coming year with our futures and all..."_

_Troy stood silently, not liking the direction it seemed she was headed._

_"If we continue like we have been...well, things could just get messed up and I think we should just...go back to being friends."_

_Troy felt like he'd been punched in the gut by a heavyweight fighter. "Ella...you're just reacting right now. I know it was scary, but..."_

_Gabriella just kept looking down at her bedspread._

_"Look, Ella, we can figure this out...and...if it means...if it means we stop having sex, then so be it...it's not what defines our relationship."_

_Gabriella looked back at Troy, shaking her head back and forth. "Troy, come on. If we stay together, you know that wouldn't last. It'd be too difficult."_

_"So, that's it? We face the possibility of being parents, end up getting through that fine, and you're going to just give up now because it scared you?"_

_"Yes...Troy, it did scare me...and I'm glad it did. Don't you see? We could end up right back where we were last night. You have Duke...that's what you should focus on. And, I need to figure out my college future."_

_Troy was looking away from her now, running his hands through his hair in frustration, tears in his eyes._

_Gabriella sighed. "If last night had turned out differently...it would have been bad, Troy. Not just for our immediate future and college and disappointing our parents. Hell, my mom had me young...she'd never want me to follow that same path. And, somewhere down the line, you'd end up resenting me or I'd end up resenting you and...I just...you can't be my dad...I can't lose you."_

_"Ella...I...I don't know what to say to that...you won't ever lose me...ever...I just wish you weren't trying to lose me now."_

_"I know it seems like that Troy, but I just think this is what we need to do. I love you, Troy. I always will. And...I hope you'll feel the same...just...moving forward, let's love each other as friends, okay?" Gabriella held her breath, hoping Troy would agree because she was fast losing her resolve._

_"I can't change your mind?" he breathed out._

_"I think this is best...please, Troy," she pleaded._

_Troy sighed, a tear slipping from his eye and rolling down his cheek as he swiped it away with the back of his hand. Silently and slowly, he moved toward Gabriella. Standing in front of her, he bent down, caressing her cheek with his hand, and brought their lips together in the softest of kisses. When he pulled away, he whispered against her lips "I always will too," before turning around and walking back toward her door. Before he exited it, without turning around, she heard him quietly utter one more word. "Okay."_

_

* * *

_

Troy blinked, drawing himself back out of the memory, as he realized Gabriella had just asked him something. "I'm sorry, Ella...what did you ask?"

"Oh, playing dumb then, huh? Is that your way out of it?"

When Troy just stared back at her, a confused look on his face, Gabriella let out an exasperated sound and repeated her question from before. "Do you or do you not want to learn the stupid dance once and for all, Bolton?"

A surprised look crossed Troy's face before it broke out into an amused grin. "You seriously want to take on that challenge?" he questioned, quirking a brow at her.

"Oy, silly man...come on," Gabriella instructed, moving the scrapbook off her lap and standing up, pulling Troy with her. They moved around the coffee table so they had more open floor space and she proceeded to remind him of the basic steps.

"Troy, it's not that tough...right 1,2,3, touch, left 1,2,3, touch, back...1,2,3 touch..."

Troy just laughed nervously at himself as he tripped over his feet a bit. With further patience and instruction from Gabriella, he started to think he might just have it down and started to move a bit more confidently.

"Wait...I think I have the music somewhere. That'll help and can be your true test," Gabriella said, pleased with herself for the progress she saw Troy making. She went to the media cabinet and sorted through her cds. "Aha! Got it," she said returning with a cd labeled "High School Music Mix."

"You listen to The Electric Slide for fun?" Troy asked, his lips twitching with amusement.

"Oh, hush up, Troy. I listen to a lot of things. And, I like to relive old times. What can I say?"

Troy held up his arms in a gesture of amused surrender at this, watching as Gabriella put the cd into the stereo and read her homemade label to find the song's placement on the disc. And, then he found himself next to Gabriella moving side to side and back and forth, feeling completely silly but completely exhilarated by the fun of the moment. As the song drew to a close, Gabriella turned to Troy smiling and clapping her hands with glee that he'd gotten it. He smirked and took a dramatic bow, which resulted in even more clapping before Gabriella shook her head a bit at their silliness and stepped forward, giving Troy a quick congratulatory hug.

As she stepped back, they both heard the strains of the next song on the cd playing...a slow song. Troy smiled at her and held his hand out. "May I have this dance?"

Gabriella hesitated.

"Come on...you made me do the Electric Slide. I'm much better at this."

Gabriella smiled back at him, taking his hand and moving into his arms. As they started to slowly sway back and forth to the music, the lyrics to the song became clearer...

_**You look in my eyes**_

_**And I get emotional inside**_

_**I know it's crazy**_

_**But you still can touch my heart**_

_**And after all this time**_

_**You'd think that I**_

_**I wouldn't feel the same**_

_**But time melts into nothing**_

_**And nothing's changed**_

Troy and Gabriella looked into each other's eyes, the words of the song speaking to each of them, each silently feeling a connection between the words being sung and the thoughts and feelings they'd been having this weekend. Naturally, without conscious thought, Gabriella moved so that both of her arms were around Troy's neck and Troy placed both hands low on her waist, pulling her closer to him.

_**I still believe**_

_**Someday you and me**_

_**Will find ourselves in love again**_

_**I had a dream**_

_**Someday you and me**_

_**Will find ourselves in love again**_

'What's happening?' they both questioned silently, holding each other's gaze, taking the slightest of breaths.

_**Each day of my life**_

_**I'm filled with all the joy I could find**_

_**You know that I**_

_**I'm not the desperate type**_

_**If there's one spark of hope**_

_**Left in my grasp**_

_**I'll hold it with both hands**_

_**It's worth the risk of burning**_

_**To have a second chance**_

The butterflies...the warmth...the feeling of being loved...the same feeling as on the tiny island, as that night under the stars, as lying in that snowbank next to the pond, as sitting on the beach watching the sun set, as that night at the beach house...and as in the kitchen earlier...

_**No, no, no, no, no, no I need you baby**_

_**I still believe that we can be together**_

_**If we believe that true love never has to end**_

_**Then we must know that we will love again.**_

Did they still believe? Was it still in their minds and hearts that they could end up back together, back the way they used to be, back in love? Gabriella wasn't sure, but she knew she'd never felt this way in any other man's arms, whatever that meant. Troy wasn't sure, but he was sure he didn't want the song to stop. He didn't want her to pull away; he just wanted to keep her held close to him...and something else...

_**I still believe**_

_**Someday you and me**_

_**Will find ourselves in love again**_

_**I had a dream**_

_**Someday you and me**_

_**Will find ourselves in love again**_

He wanted to kiss her.

The next song on the cd began to play...they stayed right where they were, still swaying slowly, holding each other close...

_**Maybe it's intuition **_

_**But some things you just don't question**_

_**Like in your eyes**_

_**I see my future in an instant**_

_**and there it goes**_

_**I think I've found my best friend**_

_**I know that it might sound more than**_

_**a little crazy but I believe** _

He really wanted to kiss her. More than anything. He'd wanted to kiss her earlier in the kitchen. He had fought to keep things safe and normal, as had she...but right now, he didn't want to play it safe...he didn't recall quite what normal was...he just wanted to...

_**I knew I loved you before I met you**_

_**I think I dreamed you into life**_

_**I knew I loved you before I met you**_

_**I have been waiting all my life** _

What Gabriella saw in those cerulean blue eyes scared her...excited her...made her heart skip a few beats. She couldn't lie to those eyes...and right now, she was answering them with one word...

_**There's just no rhyme or reason**_

_**only this sense of completion**_

_**and in your eyes**_

_**I see the missing pieces**_

_**I'm searching for**_

_**I think I found my way home**_

_**I know that it might sound more than**_

_**a little crazy but I believe**_

Yes.

_**I knew I loved you before I met you**_

_**I think I dreamed you into life**_

_**I knew I loved you before I met you**_

_**I have been waiting all my life** _

Their faces having moved closer and closer as the songs progressed, their lips were now just inches apart. Troy closed the distance between them, allowing his lips to brush up against hers softly, tantalizingly, slowly, savoring the feeling...the feeling they'd both missed all these years.

_**A thousand angels dance around you**_

_**I am complete now that I found you** _

Gabriella allowed herself to get lost in Troy's kiss. She breathed him in. She felt the heat radiating from both of them.

_**I knew I loved you before I met you**_

_**I think I dreamed you into life**_

_**I knew I loved you before I met you**_

_**I have been waiting all my life** _

Troy remembered this taste. It was the sweetest taste ever. He needed more.

_**I knew I loved you before I met you**_

And, so she gave him what he needed, parting her lips just as his tongue ran along them, seeking entrance.

_**I knew I loved you before**_

It felt intoxicating, their lips joined, their tongues teasing each other. Troy allowed one hand to drift up from her waist and bury itself into her hair, that glorious long, thick mane.

_**I knew I loved you before I met you**_

Gabriella let her own hands drift up to run her fingers through the hair at Troy's neck, as she met each stroke of his tongue with one of her own.

_**I knew I loved you before**_

Their bodies were melting into each other, every nerve ending alive with the closeness, the tingling radiating out from their lips.

_**I knew I loved you before I met you**_

'Why have we been depriving ourselves of this?' they both thought.

_**I knew I loved you before I met you**_

And then it hit them...

The next song came on...a fast song...and it helped to shake them out of their moment. This wasn't what they were anymore. So, why was it what they were standing in the living room doing? Slowly, unsurely, they pulled back from their kiss, staring wide-eyed at one another, the sound of their labored breathing the only thing filling the air.

Gabriella looked into Troy's eyes and saw a mixture of emotions there...confusion, surprise, lust, concern, a sparkle of...hope?

Troy looked at the woman in front of him, her cheeks flushed, her lips darker and swollen from their kiss, her chest rising and falling rapidly and a bit unevenly, her eyes showing surprise and fear and...longing?

'What now?' was the question playing in both of their minds.

Gabriella felt like there was a washing machine spin cycle going on in her stomach. She didn't know what to do...so, she ran. She hadn't realized she was still in Troy's arms until she pulled herself out of them. Once she did, she gave him one more glance to see that he was studying her, waiting to see what she would say or do, and then she turned and ran out of the room, down the hall, and into her room, closing the door behind her and leaning against it.

Troy stood in the living room for a moment just staring at the empty space in front of him, and then looking down at his arms, the arms that had held her to him minutes before, arms that now felt so empty. Then, taking a shaky breath, he turned and ran out of the room and down the hall after her. Reaching her closed door, he raised a hand to knock and then paused, changing his mind and lowering his hand. Instead, he leaned his head closer to the door. He thought he could hear her breathing on the other side, sense her standing there.

"Ella?" he asked, uncertainty in his voice.

Silence.

"Ella, please...just talk to me," he urged softly.

He heard her sigh. Then he heard her voice. It sounded tired and strained. "Troy...let's just...I'm going to bed...good night."

Troy let his forehead touch the door and brought his hand up flat against it, just resting like this for a few moments. He heard her move away from the door and he waited. But then he heard nothing. He took a deep breath.

"Good night, Ella," he spoke to the door beneath his fingertips, before slowly turning and walking back to the living room, where he turned off the stereo and the lights before heading into the guest room.

* * *

AUTHOR'S NOTE: So, um, yeah...roller coaster-y chapter...sad, happy, frustrated? They're getting there though. :-) Just one other note on the break-up...it was just really tough thinking about how/why they might have broken up because I wanted it to be something that didn't leave us disliking either of them and causing later barriers to them getting together like trust/resentment issues (like if one had cheated, etc.) and the way things were flowing, it just seemed likely to me that Gabriella made the decision. But then I kept thinking "why the hell would anyone break up with Troy Bolton?"...this one at least...he's fairly perfect in my book...I wouldn't have broken up with him! LOL!

So, anyway...on another note, this chapter took me back down a musical memory lane. The songs are Mariah Carey's "I Still Believe" and Savage Garden's "I Knew I Loved You Before I Met You" from the 90s. If you like, You Tube 'em and then listen while reading and picturing Troy and Gabriella dancing...well, that's what I did as I was writing anyway. So, don't hate me and think me all kinds of evil or anything (insert evil laugh here) but I won't be updating until next Tuesday probably. I am off to visit some friends this weekend and we are going to see Vanessa in concert!! So...very excited about that. :-) Hope you all have a lovely weekend as well! Thanks again for reading and feel free to review and let me know what you think about our lovely couple, how they will spend their evening and the rest of their weekend, what other memories they may think back on, whether or not Gabriella's neighbors will ever return that crock pot...LOL...you get the point...I just love reading your thoughts. :-) Okay, Toodles for now!


	9. Don't Mess It Up, Bolton

**Looking Back to Move Forward  
**

SUMMARY: Troy and Gabriella have been friends for 11 years, best friends. They've even been more, but circumstances years ago led them to end their romance and revert back to just being friends. But will one special weekend of reminiscing about their lives and the memories they've shared remind them of the one thing that they're both missing? M for adult situations/subject matter and sexual references/depictions.

DISCLAIMER: I do not own these wonderful characters...I just love them like the rest of you. :-)

AUTHOR'S NOTE: Hello! First of all, I just have to say that Vanessa's concert was beyond enjoyable...her voice is awesome, she's even more gorgeous up close and in person and man, that girl's got energy...some crazy, fabulous dancing going on up on that stage. :-D I got to be in reserved seating, centrally in the 4th row, so that rocked! If you want to see her and can, I'd certainly recommend it! On a related note, I must share that I am really tired right now...some oh so fun airport changes resulted in me getting home today instead of yesterday. But, here I sit, uploading this new chapter...so, what's my point? Review and put a smile on my face...it's been a trying 24 hours! ;-) Okay, thanks all for continuing to read! Enjoy!

* * *

Chapter 9 – Don't Mess It Up, Bolton

Gabriella lay down on her bed and pulled the covers up over her, curling up into a ball and hugging her knees close to her. She couldn't believe that had just happened. Okay, maybe on some level she could, but it still felt surreal, like maybe she'd dreamed it. But then she touched her fingers to her swollen lips and she knew she hadn't dreamed it.

Troy flopped down on his bed, laying on his back and staring up at the ceiling, beginning a troubled conversation with himself…

'Now what, Bolton? What the hell have you done?' his mind interrogated him.

'Um, I'm pretty sure they call that a kiss...one hell of a kiss...and she didn't exactly seem to mind while it was happening,' he silently defended.

'Well, she minds now! What are you going to do?'

'What can I do? I'm giving her space. Besides...I don't know what it means...it wasn't exactly planned.'

'But you enjoyed it.'

'Of course!'

'Ha! Ask yourself why.'

'Oh, shut up!'

Troy blew out a frustrated breath and brought his hands up to rest behind his head as this inner dialogue continued and he continued to stare at the ceiling.

Gabriella let her eyes drift around her room, having now adjusted to the darkness. Her eyes fell on a lone decorative bottle on her dresser. It contained layers of sand and seashells and it was something she'd kept on her dresser for years, cherishing the place and the memories it reminded her of. 'How fitting,' she thought to herself, as that bottle took her back to another time she'd been alone in a house with Troy trying to decide if their relationship was going to change that night…

* * *

_  
Troy chuckled. "Um, Ella, doesn't that one look exactly the same as the last three you've picked up?"_

_"Nooo. Look. This one's ridges go this way. The others' ridges go like this and this," she argued, demonstrating with her fingers._

_"You're so cute."_

_Gabriella tilted her head at him and sent him a small warning glare._

_Troy just laughed. "Fine. They are all completely unique. How many do you need for this bottle thing anyway?"_

_"Just a handful more," she answered distractedly, studying the sand at her feet for more shells that caught her eye._

_Troy smiled watching her and then trained his eyes on the sand, leaning down occasionally to pick up shells and hold them out for her inspection._

_Sharpay and Zeke watched the two of them from their spot closer to the beach house._

_"Okay. I think I have enough now, Troy. Guess we should head back. Looks like Sharpay and Zeke may be planning out further espionage for the four of us," said Gabriella, looking back down the beach to see their two friends having a serious discussion._

_"Just call me Bolton...Troy Bolton," Troy joked, causing Gabriella to giggle before leaning up to place a quick kiss on his lips. As she pulled away, Troy placed his hands on her hips and pulled her back in playfully for another, deeper kiss. Reluctantly pulling back once more, Gabriella looked lovingly into her boyfriend's own adoring eyes for several moments before grabbing his hand and turning to begin their walk back. When they got back to their friends, they were met with sly smiles._

_"Wha-at?" Gabriella asked warily._

_"Oh, nothing," replied Sharpay perkily. "Zeke and I were just thinking we should probably head over to the other beach house. We can take some of these remaining desserts to the resorts on the South side then...you know...spread out his influence, increase his prospects."_

_"Uh, okay Shar. If that's what you think is best, I'll just go pack up. It won't take long," Gabriella said._

_"No, no, no," Sharpay responded, waving her hands in front of her._

_Gabriella and Troy both looked at her with a bit of amusement and confusion on their faces. Zeke decided to help clear things up._

_"What Shar means is that she and I are going to head out. You guys have been great helping us. Actually, we've probably worked you too hard," he said with a chuckle. "Anyway, you guys should stay here...just enjoy the house and beach without having us run you around like crazy."_

_"Are you sure, man? We wanna help you get your foot in the door," Troy replied._

_"Yep, we're sure. You've definitely already done that. Plus, it's good if someone's still here in case any of the resort staff come in search of me to offer me my dream job," said Zeke with a wink and a grin. "You can make sure they reach me and Shar and I can be stationed at South Beach in case things could pan out there."_

_"Yes! We need you to hold down the fort here! And enjoy the place too. So, no arguments!" Sharpay said, shooting a meaningful look at Gabriella before turning and skipping into the house to go pack up her things. _

_Gabriella just stood staring after her. Troy looked at Zeke questioningly and got a smile and a slap on the back before Zeke trotted off into the house to gather his stuff. Gabriella turned to Troy, a shy smile on her face. He looked back at her, sending a reassuring smile in her direction, before reaching out and taking her free hand in his own and leading them into the house. _

_Soon after, they helped Sharpay and Zeke pack up their car with their bags and remaining dessert boxes. They had planned to arrive earlier than Troy and Gabriella yesterday, so they had driven separately. This had worked out anyway as The Boltons and Maria were under the impression that Sharpay's parents were going to be present at their beach house that weekend and probably would have expected to see them in the car with Sharpay and Zeke if they had arrived at their houses to pick Troy and Gabriella up. As they helped their friends get ready to head out, Troy and Gabriella felt caught up in a whirlwind somehow. They had just planned on spending the whole weekend with their friends and now the prospect of spending the rest of it as just the two of them was at once intimidating and exciting. _

_Before they left, Sharpay and Zeke pulled Gabriella and Troy to their respective sides of the car. Sharpay hugged Gabriella, whispering in her ear "He is the one, Gabs," before pulling back to look at a wide-eyed Gabriella. _

_Gabriella was taken back to the earlier conversation she'd had with Sharpay, Taylor, and Kelsi many months ago about feeling that Troy could be "the one." After he'd run off that night and they'd gotten done laughing at him, the conversation had made its way back to their relationship. The girls had provided encouragement and had discussed how the relationship might progress to that point, with lots of tips and pointers being shared, many from Taylor based on all her older sister had shared with her. It had been one giggly, blush-filled evening…the type of great slumber party most girls enjoy (and they had of course repeated the fun on quite a few weekends since then). The next day, Troy and Gabriella had hung out and had awkwardly addressed what Troy had overheard. Maturely, they both agreed they weren't there yet, but admitted they'd like to be some day. Now, it seemed "some day" could be here._

_Before completely releasing her, Sharpay squeezed Gabriella's shoulders lightly, smiled, and nodded at her friend. On the other side of the car, Zeke did a guy handshake with Troy, saying in a low voice "Time's right, man." Troy stared back at him, comprehending what Zeke meant after a moment. _

_The guys had good-naturedly continued to rib him about his relationship with Gabriella since the two became official, including repeatedly calling him "whipped" and finding great amusement in their friend's struggle to maintain a pace to his physical relationship with Gabriella that he felt confident wouldn't leave her viewing him as a "lusty predator with only one brain, located in his Southern hemisphere," as he'd once put it to them, only to be met with hysterical laughter. _

_But lately, he and Gabriella had been pushing the bounds more and seemed more comfortable with their physical closeness, not going very long without touching each other in some way or pulling each other into a kiss. Much of their alone time was spent making out…making out in Gabriella's basement, in Troy's room, in Troy's car, in the back of the movie theater, at parties…basically everywhere that afforded some level of privacy. They had talked a bit about what prom night could hold for them this year if they both felt like the time was right when prom rolled around. Well, prom was a couple months away, but here they were…seemingly with another possible option._

_Seeing the recognition flash in Troy's eyes, Zeke smirked and added "Left something behind in our room. Have fun, man!" And, with that, he headed over to Gabriella, giving her a hug and kiss on the cheek before getting into the driver's seat. As he did this, Sharpay came over to Troy and hugged him quickly, uttering into his ear "Don't mess it up, Bolton," before pulling away, giving him a quick look of warning before breaking into a big smile and skipping off to the passenger side again. 'That is certainly my goal,' he thought to himself. He didn't want to mess things up…in any way…but, he couldn't lie to himself either…if Gabriella was ready, he most certainly was…had been (in every sense of the word) for some time now._

_Troy and Gabriella just stared after their friends as they pulled out of the driveway and headed off down the road, a mix of thoughts and emotions running through them as they stood there. After a few quiet moments, they turned to each other. A slight twinge of pink lit up Gabriella's cheeks. Troy noticed this and gave her a small smile. _

_"Ehrm...so, uh...what do you wanna do for dinner?" Troy asked, breaking the silence._

_"Oh, uh...Zeke said something about leaving us some food in the kitchen if we wanted it."_

_"Okay, uh, I guess we could go check it out and see if that's what we want then," Troy responded, turning and opening the door for Gabriella to enter the house. _

_Once inside, they headed into the kitchen and Troy peaked inside the refrigerator, his face breaking out into a grin. "Ha! Some food?! He's left us like five different meals to choose from!"_

_"Seriously? I don't know when he has the time to whip all this stuff up. So, what are the options?"_

_"Let's see. He has them labeled. We could have Tortellini Ala Carbonara, Spaghettini Bolognese, Chicken Primavera, Chicken Tettrazini, or Fettucini Alfredo. Guess he was in an Italian mood," Troy finished with a lopsided grin._

_"Guess so," Gabriella remarked, her grin matching his. "They all sound good. Do you have a preference?"_

_"Honestly, I don't even know what some of them are, so it is the lady's choice," Troy said smoothly._

_"You charmer, you," Gabriella said in a flirty voice. "Okay, how about the Tettrazini? That sounds good."_

_"Tettrazini it is. And, we still have plenty of leftover salad in here from what we mixed up last night."_

_"Sounds like a plan, then. Are you hungry now?"_

_"Silly question, Montez. I'm always hungry."_

_Gabriella laughed. "True. Well, I'm hungry too, so I guess we can get this started."_

_Troy nodded his agreement and the two worked together to get the tettrazini warmed up in the oven and the salad out on the table. Troy also noticed a bottle of white wine chilling in the refrigerator. Tentatively, he pulled it out and held it up for Gabriella to see. "What do you think?" he asked._

_Gabriella pondered for a moment. She had drunk before at family events and friends' parties. She didn't think anyone was going to be coming to the house or that they'd be going out anywhere and getting in trouble for drinking. And, given her uncertainty about what the evening held, having a little "liquid courage" might not be such a bad idea. With that final thought, she smiled back at Troy and nodded her head saying "I think that will go with our meal well."_

_Troy nodded his head as well and put the bottle down on the counter while he went to look for a corkscrew. Having watched his dad open wine bottles before, he didn't have any major difficulty opening this one and once he did, he poured some wine for each of them into the two glasses Gabriella had pulled down from the cupboard. Handing one to Gabriella and picking his own up, he raised his hand up a bit tentatively. Gabriella, catching on, raised hers up in front of her as well. _

_"To a great dinner, a great rest of the weekend, and the most wonderful girlfriend any guy could ask for to share it with."_

_The smile that graced Gabriella's face could have lit up the room. "There you go being charming again," she teased softly, clinking her glass with his before taking a small sip of her wine and watching Troy do the same._

_"So, given the various meal options and the speeches to convince us to stay here, I'm thinking Sharpay and Zeke didn't just spontaneously decide to head to the other beach house," Gabriella said with a nervous laugh._

"_Uh, no. I'm pretty sure they didn't," Troy added with his own small chuckle. Pausing a moment, he reached his arm up and scratched the back of his neck a little, before adding "You don't mind, do you? I mean, um, spending the next two nights...uh...and days here with just me?"_

_Gabriella gave him an incredulous look. "No, Troy. Of course I don't mind." She took another sip of her wine before adding softly "I'm...glad actually."_

_Troy looked into Gabriella's eyes and could see the truth in this statement. They stood gazing into each other's eyes for several moments until their silence was interrupted by the buzzer on the oven sounding. Hearing it, they both jumped a little before connecting the noise with its source and going to remove the tetrazzini from the oven. They worked quickly to set the table and Troy brought their wine glasses over to the table, refilling them a bit. He also lit the two candles that it seemed their scheming friends had left out on the table for them. Sitting down, they filled their plates and began eating, letting their conversation fall to mundane topics like family and friend happenings, upcoming movies they wanted to see, the interesting people they'd met at the resorts, and how delicious Zeke's food was. _

_As their forks clinked on their plates at the end of their meal, they grew quieter again. Eventually, they made their way back into the kitchen to deposit their dishes into the dishwasher. Following that, Troy asked if Gabriella would like to sit out on the deck and catch the sunset, as it was just beginning. Nodding her head enthusiastically, Gabriella followed Troy out onto the deck, where they settled back onto a glider to watch nature's show together. Troy put his arm around Gabriella and they mostly watched in silence, just enjoying the moment, as they'd done the previous evening, but that time sitting on the beach. When the last of the sun's rays had sizzled and disappeared beneath the waves, Gabriella looked at Troy expectantly. He wasn't exactly sure what to do next, but in the fading light, she looked so beautiful and innocent and he couldn't resist leaning down to capture her lips in a sweet kiss. Pulling back, he asked "Do you wanna go back inside now?" Gabriella nodded slowly and Troy stood up, helping her to her feet before opening the door for them to head back into the house. _

_Remembering what Zeke had said to him earlier, Troy excused himself and headed back to the room he and Zeke had shared the night before. He let his eyes wander around the room for a minute until they landed on Zeke's gift sitting on the nightstand. Troy took a deep breath and walked over to the nightstand, where he picked up the box, opened it, and removed one of its wrapped items, placing it in his jeans pocket. Then, he opened the nightstand drawer and placed the box inside before pushing the drawer shut quietly and leaving the room._

* * *

AUTHOR'S NOTE: Okay...I realize that is another potentially mean place to end a chapter, but I have my reasons...and trust me, you'd rather me cut it off here than cut into a spot in the next chapter, which is a long chapter by the way. :-) Anyway, I promise not to make you wait too long for chapter 10!


	10. Take My Breath Away

**Looking Back to Move Forward**

SUMMARY: Troy and Gabriella have been friends for 11 years, best friends. They've even been more, but circumstances years ago led them to end their romance and revert back to just being friends. But will one special weekend of reminiscing about their lives and the memories they've shared remind them of the one thing that they're both missing? **M** for adult situations/subject matter and sexual references/depictions.

DISCLAIMER: I do not own these wonderful characters...I just love them like the rest of you. :-) I also do not own Top Gun, Tom Cruise, Val Kilmer, or the song "Take My Breath Away." But you knew this, right? ;-)

AUTHOR'S NOTE: Good morning/afternoon/evening! Well, as promised, here's the next chapter. Now, I have to take this moment to remind you that this story is **rated M** and this chapter...you guessed it, **M**...very much so...so, if you blush easily, don't wish to get some intimate visuals of these characters, or don't want your boss to look over your shoulder and reprimand you for reading smut at work (LOL), you may just want to stop reading right now. But if you, like me, rather dig the M write-ups, well, do continue and I hope you'll enjoy it. It's a bit nerve-wracking getting to this point in the story since this is my first published story and here I am "going there" with all of you...not that you all aren't perfectly lovely, but you know...we haven't known each other long. LOL! Okay, I'll stop my blabbing now. :-) Read on!

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Chapter 10 – Take My Breath Away

Troy lay there in that guest room feeling more lonely than he'd felt in a long time. What was happening this weekend? And, how could he make it right again? Sighing, he let his eyes roam around the room, taking in the somewhat rustic décor…the knotted pine dresser, the old-fashioned wooden rocking chair in the corner…and then his eyes ran over the bookshelves Gabriella had in the room. He smiled to himself, seeing that she still read her "smut" but also had a variety of other types of titles on the shelves. He noted the movies she also kept on the shelves. These were surplus movies, those she had run out of room for in her living room movie cabinet. His eyes stopped on one movie in particular…a common movie collection choice but for Troy, it was a movie that transported his mind back to another weekend spent with Gabriella…

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_Gabriella stood in the kitchen, not entirely sure what to do with herself. Troy had said he'd be right back. She looked out the window above the sink to see the stars starting to appear in the swiftly darkening sky. Finding the brightest one, she made a quick wish that tonight would be perfect and that it would only serve to strengthen her relationship with Troy. Turning from the window, she let her eyes dart around the room. No sign of Troy yet. She peeked into the refrigerator and saw that Zeke had also left them several desserts. She still felt pretty full, however, so she shut the door, making mental note of the options in case she felt hungrier later. She grabbed herself a glass of water and made her way into the living room. A minute later, Troy found her there, eyeing the Evans' movie collection. _

_"Uh, care to watch one?" he asked, thinking this might be a good idea since he still had no idea how he should move them toward the less innocent activities he hoped the evening would hold._

_Gabriella turned to smile at him, grateful that he wasn't in a rush for this evening to escalate. She wanted it to. She had already made up her mind about that. She just didn't know if she was ready to get there yet. "Sure...if you don't mind."_

_"No, not at all. Sounds good," Troy said, offering her a reassuring smile. "Has one caught your eye yet?"_

_"Hmmm...quite a few, but you wouldn't love all of my choices," she said with a smirk. "So...how about Top Gun? It's classic. It has action and macho guy stuff and you know, romance stuff for me. And, you can't go wrong with Tom Cruise and Val Kilmer."_

_"Nice. I'll forget about that last part. Otherwise, sounds good to me too." With that, he took the video and popped it into the VCR, while Gabriella took a seat on the couch. Troy dimmed the lights before sitting down, as they often did when watching movies so that they could get a movie theater feel. He settled in next to Gabriella, placing his arm around her and pulling her close. She relaxed into him, resting her head against his shoulder and curling her feet up under her on the couch. And, so they stayed as the movie progressed. At first, they allowed themselves to just relax and enjoy the film. Often, while watching movies in a dimly lit room, they would swiftly forget about the movie and get right to the business of making out. But tonight, they knew that doing so would be starting something more intense and neither was quite ready to do that. So, they just allowed themselves to get lost in the film...that is, until they reached the famous volleyball scene._

_Now, normally, this scene was a personal favorite of Gabriella's (and many other gals around the world). I mean, hot, sweaty, shirtless, muscular men playing volleyball. What gal wouldn't love that? But tonight, Gabriella couldn't enjoy it in the same way she usually did because 1) she was anticipating seeing her own boyfriend shirtless and sweaty later that evening and 2) she was starting to think of another scene in the movie she knew they were fast approaching. Not long after, as Maverick revved up his bike and sped away from the flight school and Charlie hopped in her car and chased him, Gabriella's heart sped up a bit. As they stopped and started yelling at each other before coming together in a passionate kiss, she thought she could feel Troy's heart beat pick up its pace as well. As the scene moved to the characters' silhouettes standing in Charlie's house and "Take My Breath Away" began playing, Troy and Gabriella both sensed the tension in the air and the room felt ten degrees hotter. They held their breaths as the scene continued, bared skin, movements, tongue flashes and all, inwardly sighing when it was over. _

_As the rest of the movie played, they found it difficult to pay it their full attention. Both were anxiously awaiting the end of the movie and wondering if the other was thinking about it and if they should talk about it or just act. Somewhere around the "take me to bed or lose me forever" scene, Gabriella started to absentmindedly trace circles on Troy's chest with her finger. When Goose died, Troy started to rub his hand slowly up and down Gabriella's arm, placing soft kisses on the top of her head. When Maverick went back up for the first time, he started alternating between doing this and running his fingers through her hair. By the time Maverick was in the midst of his first real flight assignment, neither could care less whether or not he and his team shot down all of their enemies. Troy's hand had moved to rest on Gabriella's back again, only this time his fingers rested on her bare skin right beneath the hem of her shirt. Gabriella's hand now also made contact with bare skin as she had eased it beneath Troy's t-shirt to rest it lightly on his toned abs. As the characters celebrated their successful mission, Troy's and Gabriella's fingers were both moving lightly to draw patterns on bare skin. As Troy's fingers lightly passed over the clasp on the back of Gabriella's bra and as her own fingers lightly grazed the top edge of the waistband on Troy's jeans, they both sucked in a breath and closed and re-opened their eyes slowly, recognizing the slow but meaningful "dance" they were doing. As the movie's characters moved toward a kiss in the final scene, so too did Troy and Gabriella. _

_Gabriella tilted her head back to look into Troy's eyes, seeing her desire mirrored there. Troy saw this too and leaned down to capture her lips. Gabriella leaned up to meet him and reached the arm that had been dormant until now up and around Troy's neck, fingering the hair at the nape of his neck, as her other hand continued its light touch on his abdomen and as she allowed her legs to uncurl and to hang off the front of the couch. The passion in their kiss grew as they parted their lips, allowing their tongues to duel as they had so many times before, except that so many times before they had known it would be finite. Tonight was different. _

_Gabriella allowed her hand to run a bit higher to splay across Troy's chest. Troy ran his one hand down her back, over her hip, and down her outer thigh, stopping at her knee as he reached around to pull both of her legs toward him to rest across his lap. Having done so, he ran the same hand back up the trail it had just taken, this time stopping at her waist, his fingers again slipping underneath her shirt to splay partly along her side and partly onto her abdomen, as he pulled her even closer to him. Feeling the need for air, they lessened the intensity of the kiss briefly, still sucking gently on each other's lips, before Troy allowed his own to separate from Gabriella's so that they could glide along her jaw and down her neck. He placed a trail of kisses along her collarbone to her shoulder before stopping and reversing his trail until he'd reached the spot where her neck and collarbone met, lingering here, licking, sucking, and nibbling in a playful manner as he felt his girlfriend shiver a little in his arms and heard her shaky inhalations of breath._

_Gabriella was melting...pure silly putty, that's what he was turning her into with that skillful mouth of his. And his hands, hot on her skin, not yet moving further than they had, teasing her with the anticipation of those fingers continuing their explorations. And, then, as if he sensed her eagerness, he kissed his way back up her neck, making a slight detour to nibble and suck on her earlobe torturously, before sliding his lips back along her jaw line and reconnecting their lips. Without delay, their tongues began communicating their desire once again, as their hands were set in motion once more. As Gabriella felt the hand that had been resting on her waist slowly ascend the plains of her flat stomach, she allowed her own fingers to trail across Troy's chest until she reached one of his nipples, lightly circling it with each finger. Troy's abs contracted briefly at her touch and his breath hitched briefly as he enjoyed the pleasurable sensation she was causing. Troy's own hand had reached the underside of Gabriella's breast, where he paused briefly before sliding it upward over the satiny material to cup the soft mound, soon beginning to gently stroke the nipple with his thumb. Gabriella moaned softly into his mouth, feeling the heat wash across her chest and run elsewhere in her body as well at his loving touch. Encouraged by his girlfriend's sounds of enjoyment, he brought his other hand around from her back to cup her other breast and mirror his stimulating actions there as well, eventually slipping his fingers underneath the soft material to caress her skin on skin. Gabriella grasped at Troy's hair, entwining her fingers in it further, as her other hand moved back and forth across Troy's chest and up and down his abs. Then, feeling an urgent need to once again lay eyes on the muscular torso she was exploring so thoroughly with her hands, Gabriella let her hands slide down to the hem of Troy's shirt before tugging upwards on it. _

_Recognizing what she was trying to do, Troy reluctantly dragged his hands back from under her shirt, raising his arms to help her in removing his own. Once she had pulled it off of him and let it drop to the floor, Troy took a moment to stare into her eyes. The dark chocolate eyes stared back at him, communicating that she wanted them to continue, before they dropped to take in the taut golden brown skin covering the muscles she knew her boyfriend had been developing in recent years with all of his sports and physical activities. She licked her lips appreciatively. She had certainly seen her boyfriend shirtless before, but she still never failed to appreciate the beautiful sight. 'Yeah...Tom and Val have nothing on him,' she thought, a smile gracing her lips. Troy watched her appraise him, feeling increasingly aroused by her perusal. He watched as she placed her hands back on his stomach and ran them steadily up his abs, over his chest, and over his shoulders, which she gripped to steady herself. Then, she leaned up and instead of taking his lips within her own, she bypassed them, placing sweet kisses along his jaw, back to his ear and down his neck from there. Her small tongue flicked out to sear his already heated skin as she traced her own path over his shoulder and then down his chest, eventually taking one of his nipples into her mouth and sucking on it and teasing it with her tongue before moving her mouth further down over his abs, licking in a circle around his naval before kissing her way back up the other side of his abs, stopping to give attention to his other nipple before eventually making her way back up to suck on the other side of his neck, his other earlobe and finally his lower lip. _

_Troy, who had been mesmerized and titillated by his girlfriend's thorough attentions, snapped out of his stillness and placed both of his hands on either side of Gabriella's head, sucking on her upper lip and pulling her head closer to him, as he plunged his tongue into her mouth with fervor, wanting to taste every inch of that sweet mouth once again. _

_Gabriella felt lightheaded. Her pulse was racing and she felt hot, really hot. _

_Pulling away from the kiss with other actions in mind, Troy leaned forward and began to kiss her neck once more, moving his mouth along her collarbone once more, as his fingers slipped under the spaghetti strap of the tank Gabriella was wearing, gently pulling it down over her shoulder as he placed his lips where the strap had just rested before pulling the strap down a bit further, his lips moving further down the side of her shoulder. Those lips next trailed across the upper part of Gabriella's chest and up onto her other shoulder as his other hand pulled that strap down so that his lips could follow on that side as well. As his lips once again trailed across her upper chest and began to gradually trail lower so that they were now skimming the neckline of her tank, Gabriella closed her eyes with pleasure and anticipation. And, then, Troy pulled away once more, which caused her eyes to fly back open, missing the contact and curious as to why he'd stopped. _

_Troy looked into Gabriella's eyes, seeing the brief look of confusion and longing flash there. He took a deep breath and steadied himself. This was really as far as they'd ever gone before in their makeout sessions. He had felt her chest beneath her clothes but he had never once derobed his girlfriend and his lips had not been where his hands had. Holding her eyes with his own, searching for any sign there that would halt his actions, he brought his hands down to the bottom of her tank top, gripping the hem as she had done with his shirt. He saw Gabriella's head give the slightest nod before he began to pull the tank up, letting his fingers graze over each inch of skin as it was uncovered before finally pulling the shirt up over her head and letting it drop to the floor next to his. _

_They were startled for a moment as the television started blaring voices at them. The tape had played to its end and had stopped, causing the television to come back on. Troy quickly reached over to the sofa arm and hit the power button on the remote, turning everything off. Sitting in silence once more, Troy turned back to take in the sight of his girlfriend sitting now in only her jeans and her strapless lavender bra, staring back at him with a nervous smile. He smiled back at her, bringing his hands back to her waist and placing a few gentle kisses on her lips as he slid his hands up her back until they reached her bra clasp. His hands shaking a bit, he fumbled with the clasp for several seconds before managing to release the hooks and feeling the two separate ends in his hands. He heard the breath catch in Gabriella's throat as he slowly eased his hands from the center of her back outward, allowing the material to loosen its hold on her breasts before letting go with his one hand so that the other could pull the soft covering completely away from her body, letting it also drop onto the floor._

_Troy held his breath and eased back so that he could take in his girlfriend's entire upper body with no more barriers in the way. His eyes lit up with pleasure as her full, creamy breasts came into view. He felt his heated blood rushing south in his body, followed by a twitch in his groin, letting him know his body was fully aware of his intentions this evening and was fully on board with his plans._

_Gabriella was waiting breathlessly, searching his face, hoping that the sight of her was pleasing to her boyfriend. Sensing this, Troy looked back up into her eyes, leaning in to kiss her lips once more before pulling back to say in a husky voice "God...you're beautiful, Ella." _

_Gabriella's lips curved up at this. Troy captured them once more in a passionate kiss, leaning them both back so that Gabriella's head and back rested against the sofa's throw pillows. They both savored the skin-on-skin feeling as their chests pressed against one another, Gabriella's hands coming up to caress Troy's back. Troy broke the kiss, trailing his lips swiftly back down Gabriella's neck to her upper chest where he'd left off before. Not stopping this time, he kissed his way over and around her right breast, engulfing her nipple with his mouth as he brought his other hand up to caress her left breast. Gabriella squirmed with pleasure at the attentions both of her breasts were now receiving, tightening her grip on Troy's back. Troy rolled his tongue around her nipple, drawing back and then sucking it into his mouth once again. He heard the soft pants escaping Gabriella's parted lips as he smoothly switched his attentions, kissing his way over to her other breast before taking that nipple into his mouth and repeating his loving actions with it as his other hand now took up its place on her right breast. _

_Gabriella felt the heat rushing through her, making her feel flush. Feeling emboldened by a primal urge for more, not even consciously processing what more meant, Gabriella let her hands glide back around Troy's body, first to caress his stomach once more and then to trail down to rest on the waistband of his jeans. She slid her small fingers over the button in the center, pushing it back through its hole. _

_This brought Troy out of his intense concentration on the beautiful peaks laid before him. Feeling his jeans being unbuttoned, he pulled back, raising himself up on his arms to stare down into his girlfriend's flushed face. He didn't see any trepidation there, but he still paused. If they were going to do this, he hadn't pictured their first time occurring on the sofa. _

_"Troy?" Gabriella spoke softly, tentatively, not sure if she had done something wrong by moving to undress his lower body. _

_"Ella, I...we should..." Making a decision, Troy eased himself back into a sitting position, pulling Gabriella up with him. Then, he stood up and saw Gabriella's eyes widen as he did so. They widened even more as he bent down and scooped her up into his arms, smiling down at her. Gabriella wrapped her arms around his neck as he turned and carried her down the hall to the room she had slept in the night before. Easing the door shut with his foot, he led them over to the bed, where he gently laid her down before crawling onto it to lay next to her. _

_Reaching over, he gently caressed her cheek with his hand before pulling her face over to meet his in a loving kiss. They soon deepened the kiss and their hands began wondering over each other's bodies again, building their pleasure once more. Troy's hands moved down her body and over her backside, squeezing and pulling her more firmly against him as the fervor of their kisses grew. Gabriella gasped as she could feel the full length of his arousal pressing against her through their jeans. She let one hand roam down over the front of his jeans, pausing a few heartbeats before moving it over to caress his hardness. Troy let out a guttural groan, bolts of sensation shooting through him at her touch. Slowly, she moved her hand up and down his length, trying to become familiar and to tune in to Troy's reactions to know if what she was doing was right. His breathing was uneven and his eyes were closed. It looked to Gabriella as though she was doing okay. Troy gripped at her hair, alternating between kissing her and just leaning his forehead against hers and enjoying the feel of her hand. When he slowly opened his eyes one time when he did have his forehead leaning against hers, the intense blue Gabriella saw further assured her that Troy was definitely enjoying her movements._

_This time, when Gabriella moved her hands to the fastenings on Troy's jeans and her tiny fingers deftly pulled the zipper down, Troy didn't pull away. He didn't stop her when she gripped the waistband of the jeans and pulled them down and off his legs. As she laid back down next to him, he did take that opportunity to let his own hands drift down over her abdomen to the waistband of her jeans. He heard the shaky breath his girlfriend took as he slowly unbuttoned and unzipped them before sliding them down over her hips and dropping them onto the bedroom floor. _

_Lying there, Gabriella only in her lavender panties, Troy only in his blue boxers, they began to kiss again. It was their home base; it was what they knew. Building up his courage again, Troy let his hand drift down over her peaks and valleys until he grazed the top of her panties. He felt Gabriella tremble slightly beneath his hand and paused, leaving his hand there as he continued to kiss her. A moment later, surprise ran through him as he felt Gabriella's own hand on top of his, urging him on, giving him the permission he silently sought. And so he continued on, cupping her soft mound through the silky material, running his fingers lightly over her folds, beginning to stroke back and forth with more pressure. A gasp escaped Gabriella's mouth at the sheer pleasure of his touch. She could feel warmth, wetness, and a fabulous tingling between her legs. Rather unconsciously, she spread them a bit further apart and tilted her pelvis up slightly to meet his hand. Feeling this and feeling the wetness as it began to seep through her panties, Troy was spurred on. He moved his hand to the side a bit and slid his fingers beneath the thin material, stroking the soft, sensitive flesh, his fingers gliding smoothly into her wet folds. Hearing Gabriella moan, Troy lifted his head slightly, wanting to not only hear and feel but to see her reactions to his touch. Gabriella arched her back, her head tilting back, her eyes closed, lashes fluttering a bit. Her lips were parted and there was a visible flush from her face on down to her chest. Her breathing was ragged and further moans escaped her lips as he continued to touch her. _

_Suddenly wanting to continue on unimpeded, Troy removed his hand. Gabriella's eyes opened at this, but she quickly realized what Troy was after when she felt both of his hands on her hips beginning to slide her panties down. Taking a deep breath and biting her lip, she slowly lifted her pelvis a bit to help the process along. Troy glanced up and caught her eye, lips curving into a reassuring smile as he slid them down her legs and threw them on the floor. Having done so, he wasted no time in returning his hand to her folds and evoking the same reactions from his girlfriend. Feeling her tilt her pelvis to better meet his hand yet again, Troy slowly slid one finger inside her. Feeling this, Gabriella initially tensed her muscles, but then relaxed a moment later, allowing his finger to stretch her tightness somewhat as he began to slowly pump it in and out of her. Adjusting to the movements, Gabriella's arousal began to build once more. She could feel the wetness and the heat at her core and the blessed tingling sensations becoming more intense. She felt an ache building, a good ache, one that needed...something. She felt a delightful churning in the pit of her stomach, her toes were curling involuntarily, and she felt the need to grasp onto the bedspread to maintain some control...control of what she was not sure. As Troy slid a second finger inside of her, both continuing their pumping motion, she arched her back further, her breathing more harsh than it had been before. She let out a loud moan as Troy added a third finger, feeling the ache build to an incredible degree, her nerve endings humming with sensation, her heart beat quickening even more, waves of heat passing over her. She felt as though she were approaching an edge of some sort. She gripped the bed tighter. She let out a strangled cry. And, then, she felt herself begin to spasm. She felt a bit like she was falling. She could see stars behind her eyelids. Then she felt the warmth at her core...and the wetness...like liquid fire. She felt so, so good._

_Troy didn't think he had ever felt more aroused in his entire life nor loved anyone else this much before as he watched in awe how his movements pleasured his girlfriend, bringing her to a peak from which she crashed down blissfully. He waited as her quick pants gradually gave way to more steady breathing once again before slowly sliding his fingers out of her. He watched the lazy smile spread across her face as she allowed herself to come back to the moment. He watched as her eyes slowly opened, staring up at him with a glazed expression. He wanted to memorize this moment, store it away forever and cherish it. And he knew it was only really the beginning._

_As if to confirm this thought, Gabriella turned to him, placing her hand behind his head and pulling him in for a passionate kiss. In the midst of this kiss, he felt her hands trail down his body, reaching his boxers and tugging downward on them. Troy helped her ease them off, before feeling an intense shudder run through him as he felt her small hand wrap around him. He couldn't hold in his groans as she began to slide her hand up and down his shaft. _

_Gabriella loved the feel of him. He was rigid but also so pliable. The skin of his member was velvety smooth and hot to the touch and as she stroked him, she felt him jerk involuntarily in her hand periodically. Wanting to experience him further, and having learned a thing or two from Taylor and her older sister (embarrassingly enough including some popsicles…no longer just an innocent summer snack to Gabriella!), she began to kiss her way down his body once more, except this time, she did not turn around at his naval. Instead, she ran her tongue downward, following the light trail of hair that led her toward where her hand was gripping his hard length. Tentatively, she let her tongue dart from her mouth and lick the tip. She heard Troy's sharp intake of breath and she continued, this time placing her mouth around the head and sucking gently. Troy's harsh groan encouraged her and she proceeded to suck more of his length into her mouth, until she felt him hit the back of her throat. Then, she eased back until only the head was in her mouth once more, before taking him fully into her mouth again. She continued to engulf him as best she could, running her mouth up and down him for a few more moments before Troy, sensing he could not control himself if he allowed her to continue, gently pulled her head back up to face him, before crashing his lips down on hers._

_Breaking their kiss, he swiftly kissed his way down her neck, trailing his lips over her breasts and her belly, moving his body down the bed as he did so, so that he could lie between her legs. Moving his lips from her stomach to her left thigh, he slid his hands up the bed on either side of her until they met her own. He entwined their hands and raised his lips from her thigh so that his eyes could run up her body until they met with hers. They bore into his. He could tell she was eager but self-conscious. "You are so unbelievably gorgeous," he breathed out. Gabriella swallowed, hearing these words and the sincerity behind them, words that made her feel safe, words that made her feel loved. How could she not trust him? She could read in his eyes that he wanted nothing more than to love her and pleasure her. "So are you," she breathed. Troy grinned at this. "Troy…" His eyes held hers. "…please…don't stop." Troy smiled once more, his eyes filled with desire. Gabriella watched in breathless anticipation as he lowered his head toward her...and then she felt his tongue flick across her most sensitive nub and a jolt shot through her body. She gripped his hands tighter. Troy proceeded to run his tongue languorously up and down her folds, pausing several times to lick and suck on her tiny nub. And, then as his tongue ran downward again, she felt it enter her. As it pumped in and out of her where his fingers had been mere minutes ago, she felt the aching, tingling sensations begin to build once more and before she knew it, she was falling again, shuddering with the pleasure he had brought her once again. As she recovered from her second release, Troy eased his tongue from her. She made an involuntary whimpering noise as he lifted his head from her and she felt the emptiness of not having him in contact with her core in some way. This made Troy grin as he kissed his way back up her stomach and chest to eventually reach her mouth and capture her lips once more. She sighed into his kiss._

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Gabriella tossed one way on her bed and then the other just a few minutes later. This memory was not helping matters. It was only muddling them more. Trying in vain to shut the image from her head, she flung the pillow over her head, groaning into it as her mind kept moving right along the track it had been traveling, with no intention of stopping...

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_As they lay there kissing, she felt his hardness press against her leg. Troy pulled back, looking down at her, a loving expression on his face._

_"Troy, do you...have something?" she asked breathlessly._

_His eyes sparkling, he nodded his head. She smiled. Then, he crawled to the side of the bed, reached down and retrieved the condom from his pocket. She watched as he tore open the wrapper and proceeded to roll the condom down over his length before moving himself so that he was lying between her legs, propped up on his arms and staring down into her eyes again._

_"Ella," he said, his voice husky with desire, "are you sure?"_

_"Yes, Troy. I want this...I want you. I'm sure."_

_Troy's lips curled up into a smile and then he leaned down and kissed her, placing himself at her wet entrance. Using his fingers, he reached up and brushed some of her hair off her forehead._

_"I love you, Ella."_

_"I love you too, Troy."_

_And, with that, Troy pressed forward, entering her slowly and watching her face for any indication he was hurting her. Meeting the natural resistance of her innocence, he took a deep breath and pushed on. Gabriella felt a sharp pinch and winced a little. Seeing this, Troy paused in his movements, leaning down and placing soft kisses on her lips, cheeks, and forehead. Adjusting to the feel of him, she ran her hands up his strong arms, over his shoulders, and down onto his back, soothing his concerns._

_"It's okay, Troy," she said, smiling and nodding slightly._

_Troy smiled back and continued entering her until he was fully engulfed in her warmth. Then, he began to move within her slowly. As her discomfort quickly dissipated, she began to experience the tingling sensations once more. She wrapped her legs around Troy's back and gripped at the back of his shoulders as her pleasure began to build. _

_Troy's movements became a bit more confident and he began pumping in and out of her steadily. Hearing Gabriella's soft pants develop into soft moans and eventually louder moans, Troy increased his speed, thrusting into her harder and faster. Gabriella felt herself approaching her climax once more. The waves of heat were passing over her. The blessed friction Troy was creating inside of her was sending such pleasurable sensations through her...she didn't even know how to describe them. She just knew she was warm and tingly and slippery and she was greatly enjoying the feeling of being this connected to Troy, of being literally filled by him. It was a powerful feeling. She tilted her pelvis to meet his thrusts, closing her eyes, arching her back, and digging her fingernails into his back as the intensity built. Both of their breathing was now ragged and sweat glistened on their smooth skin. _

_Troy was relishing this feeling. He loved feeling himself tightly engulfed in such heat. He thought he might skyrocket with every pleasurable sensation that shot through him as he moved in and out of his beautiful girlfriend. She had never looked more sexy to him than right now, lying open to him in every way, gripping onto him like he was her lifeline, giving herself over to the pleasure he was bringing her, her body flush again, her lips parted, her plump breasts bouncing with each of his strokes. He more sensed than heard his own groans and harsh breathing. His body was working of its own accord, propelling him forward naturally to his peak. As he felt Gabriella's walls tighten around him and heard her cry out his name, he gave over to nature and felt his own release begin, his hips bucking until it was done. _

_The tension suddenly gone, his body went slack and he dropped down, resting himself on top of his girlfriend for a few moments, feeling her own trembling body beneath him. Taking some shaky breaths, he stilled himself and eased himself out of her, rolling to the side and lying on his back next to her for several more minutes, just listening to their uneven breaths in the otherwise quiet room. As he calmed down more, he swiftly removed the condom and deposited it in the waste can by the bed before rolling onto his side and looking at his girlfriend once more, taking in her closed eyes and her contented smile. He continued to gaze upon her until she slowly opened her eyes and turned her head so that her dark, glazed eyes met his pools of blue. They smiled at each other, a bit shyly at first and then more comfortably as Gabriella rolled onto her side to face him more fully and reached out her hand, interlacing it with his._

_Troy spoke first. "Are you...was that...okay?" he asked hopefully._

_Gabriella's smile grew bigger. "Better than okay," she said with a sigh._

_Troy's grin was huge and his chest puffed out a bit at this. Gabriella leaned her head toward his and kissed him softly before pulling back and letting her eyes drift shut. Troy rolled onto his back once more and put his arms around Gabriella, pulling her to him so that she lay with her head on his chest, her arm draped across his abdomen. He stroked her hair and her back softly and allowed his own heavy eyelids to close. Hearing her soft, steady breathing, he allowed himself to drift off to sleep as well, a matching smile gracing his face._

_Some time later, he awoke to the feel of soft, wet kisses being placed along his chest and neck. Still in a dreamlike state, he lay still just savoring the feeling. He became more fully aware as he felt the light touch of her fingers running down over his abs and down over his upper thigh and back up and back down over his other thigh. This time though, they came up the inside of his leg until he felt them glide over his apparently awakening member. He felt himself begin to stiffen and twitch beneath her hand._

_Gabriella marveled at the beautiful specimen of man that was her boyfriend. Having woken up from their short doze before him, she took the opportunity to run her eyes over his naked form. Not being able to resist, she began kissing him and running her fingers over his body. She felt awed and somewhat powerful seeing the effect of her gentle attentions, how quickly she was causing Troy's penis to stiffen, lengthen, and rise. Really, this was more interesting than any school science experiment she'd ever performed._

_Troy became fully awake and opened his eyes when he felt Gabriella's hand wrap around him and begin a slow up and down stroke. He looked over and saw her watching her own hand's motions, a bemused smile on her face._

_"Having fun there, Miss Montez?" he asked cockily, propping himself up a bit on his elbows._

_Gabriella turned to give him a sheepish look. "Mmmmhmmm," she said, resuming her previous motions._

_Troy chuckled. "So, I'm just your new toy then, huh?"_

_Gabriella giggled, leaning up to give him a kiss. Then, she tightened her grip, causing Troy's eyes to widen. "Have a problem with that, Bolton?" she said saucily._

_Troy slowly shook his head back and forth. Gabriella cocked a questioning eyebrow at him. He cleared his throat. "No. No problem at all," he half choked out. Gabriella smiled at this, turning her attention back to the task at hand. Troy laid back and shut his eyes, thanking the heavens above for his curious girlfriend._

* * *

'Bolton, what the hell are you doing?' thought Troy to himself as he lay agitated in the guest room bed. 'Remembering that weekend is, um, great, torturous fun and all, but how exactly does it help your current situation?' Glancing down to see the tent currently forming in his pajama pants, Troy blew out a frustrated breath. 'It doesn't. It most definitely does not help,' he thought, even as his mind continued to recall how Gabriella had seen her task to its completion and had seemed to quite enjoy the resulting show. Then, he remembered falling back to sleep with her in his arms, her backside molded to his front. He had woken up first that next morning and had snuck out of bed to make her breakfast in bed...okay, technically, he had just gathered some of the pastries Zeke had left along with some fresh fruit and OJ from the fridge, but he'd placed it very nicely on the tray and carried it all the way back to the room without spilling anything, so he figured he deserved some credit for that. Gabriella had seemed appreciative, her whole face lighting up with glee as he'd woken her up with kisses, helped her sit up, and placed the tray over her legs. They'd sat there in bed enjoying their breakfast and their newly increased intimacy. After breakfast, they'd made love again before getting up and heading out onto the beach for much of the day. That afternoon, they'd showered together, which may have resulted in more dirtying than cleaning, before enjoying another romantic dinner, this time out on the back deck as the sun set. That night, they didn't need any movies to entertain them. And, when they fell asleep exhausted and feeling completely blissful, they made a mental note to thank their friends with some fabulous gifts.

Troy remembered all of this as he lay there contemplating whether he should just try to sleep this off and see if he had a clearer outlook in the morning or if he should try to go back down and talk to her. He wasn't quite sure what he'd say if he did. He wasn't sure if he wanted to say much at all. There were other things he'd like to do and talking wasn't really at the top of the list. 'Shit, Bolton. You want her,' his mind taunted him. 'I know!' he silently screamed back. It was true. He'd thought this aspect of his relationship with Gabriella was gone. They had seemed to move on those eight years ago. And even at times when he'd thought of her as being his again, he'd pushed down those thoughts, so sure she'd closed that chapter once and for all. But now...with that kiss...the way she'd looked at him at times this weekend...was it just the remembering that made the feelings seem so real, so vivid?

Gabriella was wondering the same thing not 50 feet away in her own room. Did she still have these feelings for Troy? I mean, he was completely sexy, so wanting him didn't seem like a crazy stretch. Many women out there who had watched him play and attend public events wanted him. But was it more? Could she still love him that way? And what about him? Was he just caught up in the moment or had it meant more to him? She sighed. Whatever it was...she wanted more…

* * *

AUTHOR'S NOTE: Ahem! So, what'd you think? Please do review and let me know. And, I know you're all waiting for these two to make some more progress in the present, but hopefully this look into their past was still enjoyable. They have been moving through their most important memories together, so, um, yeah...this kind of counts. LOL! And, anticipation is good for the soul, right? Heh heh heh! BUT...the next chapter is entirely in the present...so, there's something to look forward to. ;-)


	11. A Dream When I’m Not Sleeping

**Looking Back to Move Forward  
**

SUMMARY: Troy and Gabriella have been friends for 11 years, best friends. They've even been more, but circumstances years ago led them to end their romance and revert back to just being friends. But will one special weekend of reminiscing about their lives and the memories they've shared remind them of the one thing that they're both missing? **M** for adult situations/subject matter and sexual references/depictions.

DISCLAIMER: I do not own these wonderful characters...I just love them like the rest of you. :-) I also don't own any HSM songs or their lyrics (as referenced in the chapter title).

AUTHOR'S NOTE: Wow! Just wow! You guys are amazingly awesome! Thank you so much for your reviews on the last chapter! They mean the world to me! I am really glad the last chapter was so well received and that you enjoyed it...let's just say, if you didn't enjoy last chapter, definitely don't read this one. Hehehe... Okay, that's enough from me till the end of the chapter...read on and enjoy! :-D

* * *

Chapter 11 – A Dream When I'm Not Sleeping

Troy had let his mind wander through a wealth of memories of times following the beach house when they had found times and places to express their love for each other mind, body, and soul. For months after, they had been inseparable and unable to keep their hands off each other. Their love had grown stronger and they had known more than ever that they trusted each other, that they just fit. But then they had gotten carried away and they had failed to use protection and they had had the scare that led to their break up. Troy sighed. And there they were...friends. And that had been fine. But now it didn't feel fine anymore. "Argh," he groaned. But what did Gabriella want? He had stayed away all those years ago, done his best to cut off his feelings...and he'd done it all for her. And here he was two rooms away from her doing his best to keep his feelings in check again. He couldn't go down there. He had to respect her space, her wishes, and hope the morning brought something good...whatever was meant to be. Taking a deep breath, Troy sat up, pulled off his t-shirt, and maneuvered himself beneath the covers. He leaned over to switch off the bedside lamp, leaving the room lit softly by the moonlight streaming in from the window, before plopping his head back down on the pillow and trying to still his mind.

Gabriella could not fall asleep. She felt bad for running and hiding and not talking to Troy. She wanted things to be okay between them, one way or another. And...she wanted to just...see him again...she missed him...he was two doors down...it had only been a couple hours...and she missed him. Geez! She had it bad...somehow...she had it bad...again. Sighing to herself and making a decision, she slowly pulled herself out of bed, walked across the room, quietly opened her door, and padded softly down the hall.

Troy had begun to doze off when he suddenly felt a presence in the room. Groggily opening his eyes, he looked over and saw Gabriella's silhouette standing in his doorway. He blinked. He was probably dreaming. But then, as he watched, she turned and shut the door quietly and then turned and walked softly toward the bed. If this was a dream, it felt extremely real. As he raised his eyes and they met with hers, he knew it was real. She gazed back at him intensely, and she held his gaze as she carefully lifted the covers and crawled into the bed next to him. Troy forgot to breathe. He didn't move. Whatever was happening, he didn't want to disturb it.

As Gabriella felt the bed shift under her weight, she took a deep breath. Troy hadn't said anything yet. He was just watching her as if he wasn't sure he believed she was truly there. But he certainly didn't look like he didn't want her there. Taking strength from this, she inched toward him and reached out and placed her arm across his upper abdomen while resting her head on his chest. She could hear his heart beating strongly beneath her ear. She didn't really know what to say yet, so she just lay there quietly, enjoying the heat of him, breathing in his masculine scent.

Troy wasn't sure quite what to do. He enjoyed having Gabriella's head against his bare chest and her arm's weight on him. He enjoyed feeling her light breathing. When she didn't move from her position after a few moments, he tentatively placed his hand on her back. When this seemed okay, he placed his other hand on her forearm. Eventually, he began rubbing his hands soothingly along her back and arm.

They stayed like that for a little while, their hearts beating rapidly. Then, finally, Gabriella sighed and lifted herself up so that she was propped on one arm, the other that had been across his abdomen now bent so that her hand rested on the center of his chest.

Troy stared up at her, trying to read the expression on her face, the emotions in her eyes. Gabriella gazed down on this man she had been irreversibly tied to since she was 14, a man she'd loved in different ways since. Her heart swelled with feeling for him right now. Looking into those deep blue eyes, at his questioning stare, at his strong chiseled face, at those amazing lips, she knew the way she wanted to love him tonight.

"Ella?" Troy breathed out quietly.

Gabriella moved her hand from his chest and placed her index finger across his lips. The air in the room seemed to go completely still as they just held each other's gaze before Gabriella dragged her finger from his lips, bringing her head down until her lips met his in the softest, lightest of kisses. Pulling back, Gabriella looked down into Troy's eyes again. They were intense with unspoken emotion. But she had her answer. Slowly, she leaned back down and connected their lips again. This time she didn't pull back but instead allowed her lips to glide over his, exploring.

Troy's heart was soaring. There really was no feeling like this...like kissing her...his Ella. He was still processing the fact that she was in his room, let alone in his bed kissing him. He breathed in her scent, some light floral scent, something entirely intoxicating. He allowed his hands to slide up her arms and back, burying one hand in her hair as he licked her lips with his tongue teasingly.

Moaning, Gabriella opened her mouth to allow him entrance. Not one to disappoint, Troy plunged his tongue into her mouth as he pulled her head closer to him. All of Gabriella's senses felt assaulted with pleasure. As he massaged her tongue with his own, she felt lost in his kiss…happily lost. Troy pulled her upper body tighter to him as he continued to deepen their kiss. Gabriella could feel the hard muscles of his torso pressed against the softness of her own. She let both arms snake their way up so that her fingers ran through his hair.

Troy was enjoying plundering her mouth with his own and he could tell Gabriella was enjoying doing the same to him. She was giving as well as she got. She was completely his match. Troy smiled into the kiss as this thought crossed his mind. As the kiss continued, he at once wanted nothing more than this and so much more. As her fingers glided through his hair and her hands ran down from it and around his neck, Troy let his hands roam, first just caressing her cheeks and staying buried in her hair, but eventually moving down over her shoulders and sides. Troy didn't want to scare Gabriella off again but at the same time, he wanted this…he wanted her. As they continued to kiss, he let his thumbs caress her stomach as he slid his hands over her waist. She quivered a bit at the touch. His hands slid around to her lower back and then slid lower over her buttocks as he pulled her tighter to him. As he did, Gabriella could feel his growing arousal, which only served to stoke her own. She let out a pleasurable gasp at the contact.

Hearing this, Troy took the reigns, suddenly flipping them over so that Gabriella was on her back underneath him. Gabriella only gripped at him harder at this, the passion in her kiss only building. Troy loved the feel of her beneath him. The thought crossed his mind that this was what they should've been doing a couple hours ago on the kitchen floor. Not one to cry over spilt milk, Troy's mind focused once again on the present. And, in the present, Troy was feeling pretty well reacquainted with Gabriella's mouth...not that he was tiring of it, he just wanted to reacquaint himself with the rest of her and pronto! Acting on this desire, Troy broke away from Gabriella's lips, the sound of their ragged breathing following as they struggled to catch their breath. Doing so slightly, Troy lowered his head once more, but this time moved his lips to Gabriella's ear lobe, which he licked and sucked playfully before moving on and kissing her neck.

Gabriella let her fingers run over the sculpted muscles of Troy's back as he continued his welcome assault on her neck, paying special attention to her sweet spots, which he'd obviously had no trouble locating even after all this time. Troy's mouth was working its magic and sending shivers through her, shivers which continued in anticipation as she felt Troy's fingers begin to unbutton her satiny lilac pajama top. Having deftly undone each button, he only spread the shirt slightly. His lips moved down her neck to her chest and continued in a straight line down between her breasts to her belly button and then followed the same path back up. Troy then slipped her pajama shirt down over her right shoulder, allowing his lips to caress the shoulder he'd uncovered. He did the same with her left shoulder before moving up to connect their lips once again. As they kissed, Gabriella felt Troy's hands gently sliding her shirt open the whole way so that her bare breasts were exposed to the air. There was no opportunity for them to become chilled, however, as Troy's warm hands swiftly covered them.

His tongue continuing its sensual dance with Gabriella's, Troy began to knead her full breasts with his large hands, allowing his thumbs to glide back and forth teasingly over her hardening nubs. He soaked in all of the short sounds of pleasure she was emitting, relishing this renewed intimacy. Unconsciously, he ground his pelvis into hers. Breaking away from their kiss once more, Troy moved down her body, taking one of her hardened nipples into his mouth, his hand continuing its motions with her other breast. Troy made sure to lavish plenty of attention on each breast as Gabriella felt herself being pulled further and further under. Her senses were on overload. Troy's teeth teasingly grazed her nipple. He was pushing her toward the edge. She felt the wetness between her legs. She needed to feel him there.

Troy knew what he was doing to Gabriella. He felt her hands entwined in his hair. He heard her soft pants. He felt how easily she obliged when, while keeping his mouth attached to her breast, he pulled back onto his haunches and eased her up into a sitting position so that he could completely remove her pajama shirt. Easing her back down and continuing his attentions, Troy thought about how much he loved her breasts. He always had. They were the exact right amount of plumpness and smoothness. His mouth was enjoying them. But he wanted more. His fingers trailed down her smooth stomach and hooked onto the waistband of her pajama pants. He released her breast and kissed his way down the now trembling flat plain of her abdomen as his hands eased the pajama bottoms down over her hips and her slim thighs until he had removed them and tossed them aside.

One...one piece of clothing...how could one piece feel like so much? It was too much. She had too much on. Troy's lips were dancing dangerously close to exactly where she wanted them to be. He was kissing her lower stomach, kissing along the edge of her silk panties, teasing her mercilessly. Then, he started to kiss his way back up her stomach. Gabriella thought she might groan in frustration as his lips reached her neck again...that is until she felt his fingers glide down to the edge of her panties, where his lips had been moments before. She held her breath. Then, Troy's fingers slipped underneath the soft material to stroke the sensitive flesh beneath. She jerked involuntarily at the pleasure this action evoked. Troy's lips were back on hers, swallowing her moans. His fingers alternated between gentle flicks over her clit and longer more pressure-filled strokes through her very wet folds, all of which was driving her crazy. She pushed her pelvis up wanting more. She felt on fire.

Troy loved her brazenness...how she gave into her desire so fully and went after the pleasure she sought, even from the first time. Knowing what she sought, on his next downward stroke, he slid one finger inside her warmth. Feeling her grip his back harder at this, he began to slide that finger steadily in and out of her, delving her depths, finding the right spots. She was losing control beneath him...he could feel it. Wanting her to find her pleasure, he slid a second finger inside her, increasing the speed and pressure of both, while allowing his thumb to continue to flick over and rub circles around her clit. He pulled away from their kiss to watch her reach her peak.

Gabriella was gone...gone from this world, as stars exploded behind her eyelids, as tiny explosions were being set off in her lower body. Her walls tightened around his fingers and shudders ran through her body. She was panting...gasping for a full breath.

Troy couldn't take his eyes off her, enjoying the sight of her body racked with pleasure...savoring the moment...even as he could hardly wait to bring her to it again. With that thought in mind, as her body began to calm down slightly, he slipped his fingers from her warmth and hooked them over the edge of the tiny material standing between him and pleasuring her more. He slid the panties down her legs slowly, teasing her, as he kissed her thighs, her knees, her shins, and then the tops of her feet, following the material's path until he finally flung it onto the floor. Then, alternating between each of her legs, he gradually kissed his way back up until she felt his hot breath on her. Wanting to increase her anticipation, Troy just lay there, letting her feel his breath, making her wait to feel anything else.

Gabriella was patient in many aspects of her life. This was not necessarily one of them. She waited for Troy to move his mouth to her. She knew it had only been a few seconds but it felt like hours. She placed her hands on his head and tried to urge him forward to no avail. She heard him chuckle. She half wanted to smack him for it…half found it to be one of the sexiest sounds ever. And, then her pleasure skyrocketed again as she felt his tongue flick over her and then slide itself further into her folds, running up and down them, twirling itself around her clit and then sliding back down to her opening. Gabriella was whimpering with pleasure as he continued his actions, which were building up that blessed tension within her again. She gasped loudly as his tongue finally entered her. She gripped the sheets below her as he began pumping it in and out of her, wrapping his arms around her thighs and pulling her even closer to him. She threw her head back as he brought his thumb around to stimulate her clit as his tongue continued to probe her. And, as she felt her second orgasm shake her, she let herself go once more, knowing it was okay, knowing he grounded her, that she'd always come back to him.

And, so she did. Troy kissed her thighs softly as her body stilled. And then he felt her pulling him back up her body. She had always had more strength than one would expect from her small frame, he mused as his face neared hers and she pulled him into a loving kiss. As the intensity of the kiss grew, Troy felt her soft hands gliding down his body. It was his turn to wait with anticipation until one of those hands slipped inside his pajama pants and grasped him firmly. Troy groaned as she began to stroke him purposefully, alternately massaging his balls. Pulling away from their kiss, she gave him a sexy smile before pushing him onto his back and proceeding to remove his pajamas. He then watched as she slithered down his body, leaving open-mouthed kisses down his neck, pecs, and six-pack, all the while continuing a torturously slow but steady stroke up and down his shaft.

Gabriella smiled into her kisses. She loved feeling his muscles contract with tension beneath her, knowing she was building up a tremendous pressure within him as he had her. She could tease him more, continue kissing everywhere but where he really wanted her to, but she was feeling more merciful...and she didn't want to wait any longer.

Troy watched as her mouth trailed down his abs getting closer to his throbbing member. He watched the small smiles cross her face in between kisses. He would have smiled too if he could've focused on anything other than her mouth performing a different action. And then her mouth was on him, at first just continuing her open-mouthed kisses up and down the sides of his erection and then engulfing its tip. She raised her eyes for a moment and they caught his watching her. She held his gaze as she let her mouth slide further and further over him. Troy was beyond turned on, watching himself disappear into her mouth, seeing the lust in her eyes as she stared back at him. As she increased her suction and started to bob her head up and down, her hands sliding around his hips to grip his ass, he let his head drop back and closed his eyes, stars now in his vision as the pleasure ran through him. Her teeth grazed him every so often, sending additional sparks through him. She was pushing him toward the edge. But he wasn't done with her. He had to be inside her other warm depth. "Ella," he croaked, holding onto the tension. Sensing his closeness, but not yet willing to release him, she slowly allowed inch by inch of him to reappear until she finally allowed the end of him to spring free from her mouth, smiling as she watched it happen. Troy gripped at the sheets, trying to calm his body and his breathing down for a few moments. Actual thought reaching his brain at that moment, he opened his eyes and looked at Gabriella. Reading his concern, she eased herself back up next to him and said quietly "It's okay...the pill," with a small smile. Troy smiled back at her, relieved. He hadn't exactly packed for this weekend with this in mind. He leaned over and captured her lips in a kiss, his hand burying itself in her hair.

As he pulled back from the kiss, he moved so that he was poised between her legs, his arms braced above her shoulders. She raised her legs up to wrap around his lower back as he placed himself at her entrance. He paused only a moment, holding her gaze as he plunged into her in one long stroke. They both cried out at the sensation, Gabriella digging her nails into his back as he began to pump in and out of her. Troy ducked his head and latched his lips onto her neck as he continued to probe her depths thoroughly. Gabriella threw her head back, giving Troy more access to her neck as she used her legs to pull Troy as close to her as possible on every downward thrust, her hips rising to meet the force of each one. Their breathing was harsh and interrupted by exclamations of pleasure. He slid in and out of her easily...she was so wet.

"You feel...amazing," Troy grunted out.

"You...do...too," Gabriella managed, breathlessly.

Their skin was moist and their hair was becoming matted down to their heads as they perspired with their exertion. Gabriella ran her hands back up Troy's back, over his broad shoulders and down his strong arms. Troy's lips moved from her neck to her ear, where he nipped her earlobe with his teeth before trailing kisses back along her jaw to her lips. His tongue dove into her mouth as her hands covered his. Straightening up a bit, he lifted his hands so that he could entwine them with hers. His tongue tasted every corner of her mouth as he slid both of her arms above her head and began to thrust into her harder and faster. He swallowed her screams and continued to drive into her as he felt her hands grip his even harder and her back arch, raising her body up beneath him. As he felt her walls begin to tighten around him and he felt the pulses within him increasing rapidly indicating his own climax was near, he broke the kiss and thrust into her three more times, sending them both over the edge...

"Troy!"

"Ella!"

...their names echoing off the walls before giving way to silence but for the panting they were both doing now, clinging to one another, trying to catch their breaths...

Troy's head rested in the crook of Gabriella's neck, their hands still intertwined above their heads. She felt his hot breath on her neck and heard his harsh breathing, breathing that mirrored her own. Her body was still pulsing with pleasure. The scent of their lovemaking was heavy in the room. Gabriella's eyes remained closed, as did Troy's. They could feel each other's heartbeat racing and then gradually slowing down. Their bodies both felt so limp it was a challenge to move from their current position. Coming out of his fog, Troy realized he was probably squishing Gabriella, so, using all the strength he could muster, he slowly released her hands and eased himself up and off of her. He landed on his back, still breathing heavily.

Gabriella suddenly felt empty and a chill passed over her as his warmth left her. Already feeling the result of his pleasure leaking from her, Gabriella sighed and took a deep breath as she pulled herself up and off the bed. Troy felt his heart drop into his stomach as he watched her get up. 'Oh, no. Now I've fucked it up,' he thought, as he instinctively reached out and grabbed her wrist as she stood up. Gabriella looked down at Troy's hand on her arm, not quite comprehending the action at first. And, then she saw the fear in his big blue eyes and she understood. She eased her wrist through his hand and closed her hand around his, giving it a quick squeeze, while she looked down at him and gave him a small, reassuring smile. "I'll be right back, Troy," she said quietly, holding his gaze for a moment. Seeing him relax a bit, she released his hand and headed toward the door, opening it and heading left toward the bathroom.

As she freshened up in the restroom, Gabriella let her mind process what had just happened. She couldn't believe how perfect and right it had felt after all these years. She had forgotten how well they had known each other's physical needs at one time...more than that though...she had forgotten how much more than physical pleasure was felt...how happy, content, and fulfilled she felt in his arms, how comfortable she felt with him, how much she trusted him with every part of her. But, what did that mean? Where did they go from here? Or did they go anywhere? Was this just a crazy spur-of-the-moment thing?

Troy was having similar thoughts in the other room as he waited anxiously for Gabriella to return. Now feeling a chill himself without her warm body against his, he reached down and pulled the covers, which had been pushed aside in the midst of their passion, back up over his legs, leaving his torso uncovered.

Gabriella dried her hands. Her head was spinning. She looked at her flushed and glowing face in the mirror. She also noticed the bags under her eyes. As if to confirm what she was seeing, a yawn escaped her mouth at that moment. She felt really tired all of a sudden. Of course, it was now after 2am according to the alarm clock that she had glimpsed on her way out of Troy's room and she hadn't gotten a wink of sleep as of yet, so it made sense to her that she would be tired. Taking a slow breath, she flipped off the light and opened the door, heading back toward the guest room.

Troy lay in bed, blinking his eyes open every 20 seconds or so, the thoughts in his mind becoming foggy as he was beginning to fight off sleep.

Gabriella re-entered the guest room and closed the door behind her. As she approached the bed, she saw that Troy had righted the covers and was still lying on his back. His eyes were closed and his breathing was soft. She saw the steady rise and fall of his chest. She thought it was just as well. She was really tired and she honestly didn't know what to say to him right now. She paused, unsure if she should go back to her own room, but then decided against it. She had promised him she'd come back, plus she really didn't want to sleep alone now anyway. Having decided to stay, she gently lifted the covers and slid in next to him. As she did, Troy's eyes fluttered open. The beautiful blue orbs looked a bit glazed over. Gabriella knew hers must look the same as she glanced over at him. Troy was trying to focus on her. He tried to open his mouth but for the second time that night, Gabriella shushed him with her finger. She repeated her earlier actions by leaning over to plant a soft kiss on his mouth as well. And then, she let her head fall back to land softly on the pillow. "Good night, Troy." She turned onto her side, her back facing him. He knew this was how she slept most often, so he didn't take it as a bad sign. He shifted his body so that he was also lying on his side facing her back before wrapping his arm around her middle. Gabriella wriggled herself backwards a bit, snuggling her body deeper into his. Troy smiled at this and placed a light kiss on her shoulder before resting his head back down on the pillow. "Good night, Ella." The same words he had spoken earlier in the night and they were still said with so much uncertainty lingering in the air, but now, somehow, there was much more contentment surrounding them. With his Ella in his arms, all was right with the world, even if only for several hours. He'd wait to see what the morning brought. Those were Troy's last thoughts before drifting back to sleep...those and that Gabriella's soft snore had to be the cutest thing he had ever heard.

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AUTHOR'S NOTE: Sigh! I "heart" Troy. LOL! Well, another brief public service announcement from l'il ole me...ahem, no they didn't use a condom and yes, I realize the pill helps prevent pregnancy, not STDs. In my story, these two responsible adults have always protected against both with other partners, and they know all about each other so they know this...and therefore, can proceed without such concerns. K? Good. ;-) There...I feel better now. Heh! Heh! Soooo, what do you think? Progress for our characters in the present, huh? Guess we'll see what the morning holds...please be kind and review so that I know if this was all you were hoping for and just any other thoughts you might have. Thanks all!!


	12. Good Morning

**Looking Back to Move Forward  
**

SUMMARY: Troy and Gabriella have been friends for 11 years, best friends. They've even been more, but circumstances years ago led them to end their romance and revert back to just being friends. But will one special weekend of reminiscing about their lives and the memories they've shared remind them of the one thing that they're both missing? M for adult situations/subject matter and sexual references/depictions.

DISCLAIMER: I do not own these wonderful characters...I just love them like the rest of you. :-)

AUTHOR'S NOTE: Greetings wonderful people! Again, your readership and reviews are just so very appreciated! You guys seemed to appreciate that the last chapter was entirely in the present. Well, this one is too. So, without further ado, here you go...the morning after... :-D

P.S. Okay, okay...a smidgeon of "further ado"... Hee! For those of you in the U.S., I'll bet you can figure out why I chose the particular time on the alarm clock that I did...and if you can't, shame on you! LOL! Think about the genre, characters, and inspiration of this story... :-) Alright...just a random tidbit there...I'll hush up now. ;-)

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Chapter 12 – Good Morning

Gabriella was having the most vivid dream. Troy was above her, his glistening hard body...his hands were gripping hers above her head and he was moving within her bringing her to a point of complete ecstasy... Gabriella's eyes flew open. It wasn't a dream. Glancing around, she saw that she was still in the guest room and taking a breath and coming out of the fog of sleep, she could feel Troy's warm arm wrapped snugly around her and his warm chest pressed against her back. She could also feel his somewhat "perky" member pressing against her bottom. She looked over to see that the alarm clock read 10:24am. She had slept later than she usually did, but then she'd fallen asleep later than she usually did. She lay there silently thinking about whether she should stay or go get showered and dressed and what she would say to Troy when he awoke. She didn't have too long to ponder these things as, several minutes later, she felt Troy rouse behind her and then felt his lips press softly to her shoulder, as they had last night, and his hand gently caress her stomach.

Once the restlessness of the night before had passed and had finally come to its passionate conclusion, Troy had slept very well, pleasantly awakening to this golden goddess still in his arms. He couldn't remember the last time he'd slept so well, so comfortably, and woken up so pleased with life. A broad smile spread across his face as he stared at her thick hair lying across the pillow and at the perfect, delicate curve of her shoulder. He couldn't resist kissing it again. He could tell Gabriella was awake...awake and thinking, no doubt. He wasn't sure how long she might have been doing so...but he was glad she hadn't thought herself right out of his arms yet.

A smiled curled up on Gabriella's lips as she felt Troy's morning kisses continue along her shoulder and onto her neck. She couldn't help herself. This felt good, really good, waking up here with him. Following her gut and not her head, she turned her head so that she could face him. Troy lifted his head slightly to look down at her. Seeing her warm smile, he felt content. Gabriella leaned up and connected their lips in a sweet kiss. As the kiss deepened, Troy turned her in his arms so that she was on her back once more. She let her hands caress his abdomen and his sides. As their lips parted, they opened their eyes languorously and looked into each other's eyes. Love shone in both the dark brown and the bright blue.

"Good morning," Troy said with a smirk.

"Mornin' yourself," Gabriella returned, drawing circles on his abs with her fingers.

They stared at each other in silence for several more moments.

"Well...I guess we should get up," Gabriella broke the silence, as it was making her nervous. She started to lift herself up but Troy's arms were caging her in a bit and he didn't seem inclined to budge. She met his eyes again and saw humor there...and lust.

"You really should allow yourself to just stay in bed all day one of these days, Ella," he said with a grin. "Today, in fact, we don't really have to get up just yet, do we?" he continued in a husky tone.

Gazing back at him, she couldn't really argue the fact. They had nothing in particular planned for the day and truth be told, she wasn't really in a hurry to break the spell of whatever this was. Smiling back at him, she moved her arms out from underneath her and let herself drop back onto the bed. Then, she raised one eyebrow and stared back at him cheekily.

This made Troy laugh briefly at her before leaning back in to capture her lips in a playful kiss, which quickly became a more ardent kiss as their hands began to explore the once very familiar terrain of their bodies once again. They continued to kiss and please and tease one another for some time, eventually making love again slowly, savoring the feel of each other that they'd both been missing out on for so many years. Collapsing once again from exhaustion afterwards, they fell back to sleep for several more hours until, when Gabriella finally opened her eyes again, it was near 2pm. This time, however, Troy was not next to her. She slowly got up, put her pajamas from last night back on and made her way to the rest room, brushing her teeth and washing her face before exiting the room and heading down the hall toward the kitchen. There, she found Troy, standing in just his pajama bottoms, digging through her cupboards and drawers. He turned when he heard her enter the room, a smile lighting his face briefly before turning into a frown. Gabriella stopped at this, wondering what the frown meant.

"Hey...back to bed with you," he said, quickly pacing across the floor to plant a peck on her lips before putting his hands on her shoulders to turn her around.

"Troy...wha?"

"Ella, just go back to the guest room, will you?" Troy interrupted.

"But..."

"I _will_ carry you," Troy broke in again, a hint of amusement lacing his voice.

Gabriella stared back at him quizzically before slowly complying and heading back down the hall. Once in the guest room, she crawled back onto the bed, sitting on it with her knees drawn up to her chest just wondering why she was not allowed to be in her own kitchen at the moment. Just as she was starting to get a bit irked, she heard Troy's feet padding down the hall toward the room and saw the door open slowly to reveal Troy standing there with a tray in hand. He walked over to the bed, shutting the door behind him with his foot, and placed the tray in front of her, sitting down on the bed behind it. She looked up at him to see a proud smirk on his face before glancing down at the tray, which held a plate with what appeared to be a cheese omelette with buttered and jellied toast and several pieces of bacon on it. The tray also held two forks, two napkins, and a large glass of orange juice, along with one of the leftover cupcakes Zeke had made for her birthday. As Gabriella's eyes ran over the cupcake, she smirked.

"Still requiring Zeke's help with your breakfast in bed endeavors, huh? Did Zeke drive over to make the rest of the food too? Where is he hiding? I should really go thank him," she teased.

"Ella, Ella, Ella...ye of little faith. The cupcake is, in fact, the only Zeke contribution on this tray, thank you very much. But, if nothing looks appealing to you, I'll just go eat it myself," Troy teased back, gripping the tray on both sides again as if he would lift it from the bed and take it away from her.

Gabriella put her hand on his arm swiftly, conceding. "That won't be necessary, Chef Troy," she joked, "food looks great...and I'm famished!"

Troy chuckled. "Yeah...me too," he said with a meaningful wink in her direction, causing a slight blush to rise on Gabriella's cheeks. She looked away from him, picked up a fork, and began eating.

"Mmmmm...okay, Troy, my apologies...you certainly do make a mean breakfast tray now," Gabriella murmured, taking another bite of the omelette and washing that down with a sip of orange juice.

Troy smiled. "Why, thank you, Ella."

They continued eating and just enjoying each other's company, finally taking turns taking bites of the lone cupcake, the only one left of Zeke's batch, thanks to a certain blue-eyed male who had obviously been eating them on the sly since the other night.

As they took their final bites, Troy carefully set the tray on the ground and turned back toward Gabriella. They were sitting cross-legged on the bed facing one another.

Troy cleared his throat nervously. "So, um...are we going to talk about...this...us?

Gabriella wrapped her arms around her knees, pulling them towards her chest again and hugging them to her. She propped her chin on top of them and looked down at the comforter for a few moments before lifting her eyes to meet Troy's.

"We should...but...I don't really know what to say," she said quietly.

Troy nodded at this. Thinking another moment, he asked, "Well, do you wish we hadn't?"

"No." She couldn't wish that. It had been wonderful...felt perfect.

"Me neither," Troy replied, his eyebrow raised slightly, hopefully.

Gabriella reached out and joined one of her hands with his. "I just...I don't know...what it means," she said slowly.

Troy squeezed her hand. "What do you want it to mean?"

Gabriella thought about this some more before replying. "I miss us...miss this...I didn't realize how much exactly until last night." She paused before continuing, "But it has been years since we did this...we've grown...in many ways, we're different people than we were then...and, we're friends...you've been my best friend...I'm afraid to lose that."

Troy breathed steadily, taking in what she was saying. He inched closer to her, taking her other hand in his and kissing them both. "Ella, I feel the same. Last night, today...it's been amazing," he said with a smile, "but it's not just that. I've been thinking lately about us, how we were, why we stopped being more than friends, how much that sucked!"

Gabriella choked out a small laugh at this as Troy did as well before continuing. "I've thought about the relationships I've had since, and...well, none even come close in comparison...and there's always comparison, Ella...not that I'm consciously trying to do that, but I just do. None of them have been you...and I haven't felt for them anything close to what I felt for you..."

Gabriella felt her eyes watering, hearing this.

"Feel...actually," Troy added quietly.

"Troy, I...I've been thinking the same things too...but..."

"Ella, you don't have to lose me as your best friend...can't I be both your best friend and...your boyfriend?"

Gabriella's eyes flicked from Troy's face to their joined hands and back again. She wanted nothing more than for that to be possible. "I...maybe...but this is all just happening so fast and unexpectedly and...wow...it's just a bit overwhelming," she said, letting out a shaky breath.

Troy looked down at the comforter.

Noticing this, Gabriella moved one of her hands from his to place it against his cheek as she urged his head back up to look at her. She looked at him pleadingly. "Troy...it's not that I don't want...I do...but can we just...?"

Reading the request in her eyes, Troy nodded. She smiled at him, leaning over to kiss his lips softly before pulling away.

Troy placed his hands on both of her cheeks and leaned toward her to place a slightly longer kiss on her lips before leaning his forehead against hers. "I'll...leave for a while...come back later...maybe some time for both of us to think a bit."

Gabriella wrapped her arms around his shoulders and pulled him to her in a tight hug. "Thank you, Troy," she whispered before releasing him.

Troy shot her a small smile before getting up off the bed and going to his suitcase to grab a pair of jeans, a clean pair of boxers, and a t-shirt before heading off to the bathroom. Gabriella heard the shower turn on and tried to shut out thoughts of the hot jets of water running down that flawless body of his. She slowly got up and took the empty tray back to the kitchen before heading to her bedroom and shutting the door. She moved to her window and stared out at the lake, her mind running over all that had happened in the last 24 hours. She heard the shower turn off and the bathroom door open. A few minutes later, she heard the front door open and shut and heard Troy's car start up and then drive away from the cabin. She sighed. Why did she keep making him leave her to make sure she didn't lose him? It was starting to sound crazy even to her.

* * *

AUTHOR'S NOTE: Winces in preparation... So, do you want to throttle Gabriella? Or me? Come on! You didn't think it would all work out this chapter, right? Human beings are complicated and often make things harder than maybe they need to...but, they often come to their senses. ;-) And, sorry about the length (or lack thereof) of the chapter but I wanted to get the next part out to you and also, if I combined it with the next chapter, it'd be my longest chapter yet. Eek! So, I broke some stuff up. So, I'll try to get the next chapter up for you soon! :-)


	13. Chicken Soup for the Stubborn Gal's Soul

**Looking Back to Move Forward  
**

SUMMARY: Troy and Gabriella have been friends for 11 years, best friends. They've even been more, but circumstances years ago led them to end their romance and revert back to just being friends. But will one special weekend of reminiscing about their lives and the memories they've shared remind them of the one thing that they're both missing? M for adult situations/subject matter and sexual references/depictions.

DISCLAIMER: I do not own these wonderful characters...I just love them like the rest of you. :-) I also do not own any part of the "Chicken Soup" book series (related to the chapter title).

AUTHOR'S NOTE: Howdy! Well, in case you weren't sure, the 10:24am from the last chapter was used because HSM3 premieres in the U.S. on 10/24/08. I already have the day off! :-D So...glad y'all understood the need for these two to process their feelings about what's happening. It has taken them years to get back to this point after all...though my story will not take years to read...honest! Enjoy this latest installment!

* * *

Chapter 13 – Chicken Soup for the Stubborn Gal's Soul

Undressing again swiftly and wrapping her robe around her, Gabriella made her way to the restroom. She paused to take in his scent on her skin once more before stepping into the shower, closing her eyes, imagining waking up to that scent every day. Emerging a little while later, showered and still as overwhelmed as ever, Gabriella went back to her bedroom, where she threw on a pair of capris and a t-shirt. She walked back to the kitchen and proceeded to clean the breakfast dishes she'd left there earlier. Then, drying her hands, she got herself a glass of water and walked into the living room. There, lying open on the couch where they'd left it last night, was the scrapbook Troy had given her.

Taking a deep breath, she set her glass down on the coffee table and curled up on the couch, pulling the scrapbook onto her lap. Maybe...maybe if she looked through the rest of it, she'd be able to evaluate her and Troy's relationship somewhat objectively and figure out where to go from here. Well, she didn't really have any other bright ideas, she thought, so she glanced once more at the Senior Prom page. Looking at it again, she realized she didn't exactly relish seeing Mandy standing next to Troy. Seeing one of the dancing pictures again, she still smiled at the group's enthusiasm over the Electric Slide. She saw her own face scrunched up in giggles as she looked down at her sliding feet...and then, her breath caught a bit in her throat as she realized Troy's eyes were on her in the picture...not his date...not his own feet, but her. He seemed to be studying her, smiling slightly, enjoying her giggling reaction to the dance, but his eyes looked...wistful?

Gabriella paused to stare at the photo once more before flipping the page. She looked down to see pictures of she and Troy and all of their friends on graduation day. It was such a day of mixed emotions, mostly elation to have accomplished so much but also some sadness as a huge part of their lives was ending and they knew they'd all be following their own paths come the Fall. This layout and the one after it showed pictures from the ceremony itself as well as pictures from Gabriella's graduation party right here at the cabin and then some pictures from Troy's graduation party the next day and Sharpay's huge bash the following weekend. Their group had certainly made the best out of that last summer together. It had been difficult saying their goodbyes at the end of summer and adjusting to being apart from each other, but they had all telephoned and emailed on a regular basis, even taking time to write "real" letters every now and again because it was just fun to go to their campus mailboxes and have fun mail. She and Troy in particular had always filled each other in on their day to day activities, their new friends, their interesting and boring classes, their fascinating and monstrous professors, and how long they'd let their laundry pile up before sucking it up and doing some. And, they'd seen each other when they were home on breaks and on several occasions when they'd visited each other at their respective schools.

Turning the page, Gabriella laughed, seeing that her train of thought must have been the same as Troy's when he was putting this together. She looked down and saw a picture of Troy shoveling chicken noodle soup into her mouth, her sitting on the floor in his dorm room, her back up against his bottom bunk and a blanket wrapped around her shoulders. She thought back to that day...

* * *

_  
"Ella!"_

_"Troy!" she exclaimed, finally spotting him in the crowd as she stepped off the escalator and onto the main station floor. She picked up her pace as did he and they met each other in a tight embrace, Troy picking her up and spinning her around a bit before placing her back down on the ground. _

_"Geez, Ella...you're freezing," Troy remarked, looking at her with surprise._

_Gabriella shivered a little in her wet coat, shaking her head back and forth as if it was nothing. "I'm good. It's all good. Just glad to be here," she said with a smile._

_Troy looked her up and down once more before grabbing her duffel bag and slinging it over his shoulder. "Me too. Come on. Let's get out of here," he said, leading her toward the door and out to his car. He drove them back to the dorm, as they chatted away, Gabriella still shivering a bit every few minutes despite the heat in Troy's car being turned up. He noticed some of the tendrils of her hair were wet and sticking to her neck. She had her fingers dug way down in her pockets. Troy pulled up to the dorm and led her inside and up to his room. _

_"Gabs!" Chad exclaimed, popping his head out into the hallway in time to see them approaching the room. _

_"Hey Chad! Long time, no see!" Gabriella said with a smile, walking over to give him a hug. _

_"What have you been doing? Napping in the snow?" Chad asked, pulling away from her._

_"Uh, a little something like that," she said, brushing it off. "So, show me your room."_

_They led her into their room. Books were thrown in different corners of the room. Their tiny television was in the center of one wall with various video game consoles sitting on the floor in front of it. Their bunk beds were opposite the tv and their desks were behind those on either wall. They each had a small closet on either side of the main door. "If I were to open these closets, would things fall on me?" she asked teasingly._

_"You betcha!" Chad replied with a smirk._

_"That's not true," Troy defended. "I think I have things too snugly stuffed in there for anything to fall out," he joked._

_Gabriella just grinned at this, glad to be back in the company of such good friends. _

_"Well, make yourself at home, Gabs," Chad said. "I have to go meet up with some guys from the hockey team but I'll catch up with you more later."_

_"Sounds good, Chad. Have fun!"_

_"Thanks. Later, Bolton!"_

_"Later, Chad!"_

_Troy closed the door behind Chad. Often, they just left it open to socialize with everyone else on the floor but he hadn't seen his best friend for over a month since Christmas break and he wanted to have her all to himself before introducing her around to everyone later. _

_"Here, let me hang up your coat," Troy said, waiting for Gabriella to remove it._

_"Oh, uh, okay," she said, slowly unzipping it and sliding it down off her arms, handing it to Troy. He again noticed how damp and chilly it felt as he took it and hung it over the chair at his desk, on top of his own. His closet really was too tiny and stuffed to attempt to fit their coats inside. He turned around and saw that her sweater and jeans also looked damp and clung to her. She was hugging herself a bit with her arms. _

_"Ella, why are you so cold...and wet?" Troy asked, concern in his voice._

_"It's nothing, Troy. Just give me a few minutes to warm up," she said, trying to send him a reassuring smile even as she shivered again._

_"Ella...tell me," he said, moving to her and rubbing his arms up and down hers, trying to rub heat into them._

_"Well..." Gabriella paused, knowing he wouldn't be pleased with her. "You know how I was going to get a ride to the station from the dorm?"_

_Troy nodded._

_"Well, that kind of fell through." Troy looked at her questioningly. "So, I walked...except it started to really snow a lot…and it's been snowing a lot lately, so there was already a good foot of snow on the ground…so it took a while to trudge through that...and then, once at the station, well, it's apparently an outdoor station only...so, I had to wait outside for the train...and because of the weather...which was kind of...blizzardy at that point...well, it took a while. I wasn't alone though. There were a bunch of us waiting. Anyway, that's how I got wet and the train's heat wasn't working right...I think something got busted in its travels today...so, anyway, it was warm enough but not really warm, not warm enough to really dry my clothes. So, that's why they're still damp," she finished._

_Troy just stared at her wide-eyed. "Why didn't you tell me the weather was that messed up there and you didn't have a ride to the station? We could have waited to do this visit. I mean, I missed you, but geez, Ella..." Troy's speech was interrupted as Gabriella let out a loud sneeze. He went to continue, but as soon as he opened his mouth again, so did she...to sneeze again. Troy sighed. "As I was saying, Ella, you shouldn't have risked pneumonia to come here, dammit." _

_Gabriella looked back at him sheepishly. "But I didn't want to wait, Troy. It's been a crappy week with my biology prof. basically trying to scare us all away and my roommate being less than pleasant now that she and her boyfriend of the month have broken up. I just..I didn't want to wait."_

_"You are so stubborn."_

_"So are you."_

_Troy harumphed at this. He looked around the room, continuing to rub her arms. He went over to her duffel bag and leaned down to unzip it, noticing it was also quite wet. Reaching in, he could tell the dampness had made its way into the clothes she'd brought too. Contemplating what to do next, he moved to a small chest of drawers at the end of the bunk beds, between them and the closet wall. Rifling through a few drawers for a minute, he returned to Gabriella holding up one of his sweatshirts and a pair of sweatpants. "Here. You should put on warmer, dry clothes," he said, handing them to her. "I'll go see if a dryer's free downstairs in the meantime and, if so, maybe we can dry your clothes some." With that, he turned and left the room, closing the door behind him. _

_Gabriella smiled at his thoughtfulness, as she peeled her damp clothes off, sneezing a time or two more and shivering some as she exposed her chilled skin to the air before pulling his sweatshirt and pants on. Of course, they drowned her a bit, but she wasn't complaining. They felt nice and warm and cozy. She draped her wet clothes over her coat and moved to sit on his bottom bunk bed. Waiting for Troy to come back, she yawned. All of a sudden, she was feeling really sleepy. It had been a long day between the walking and the waiting and the train ride itself. Maybe she'd just rest for a few minutes..._

_When Troy opened the door to his room, he looked around confused for a second and then he saw her, lying there, looking perfectly adorable in his way too big clothes, fast asleep on top of his comforter. He quietly closed the door behind him and knelt on the floor next to his bed. She looked almost angelic lying there peacefully. He carefully eased the comforter from beneath her body so that he could cover her with it and his other blankets. Pleased that she now looked wrapped up warmly, Troy just sat back and watched her sleep for a bit longer before moving to his desk to catch up on some reading for one of his classes, figuring now was as good a time as any since he wouldn't want to have to ignore Gabriella later this weekend to do it if he could help it. _

_Gabriella slept peacefully for a few hours. Troy didn't want to disturb her but he also figured she might not want to sleep all night and that she might be needing to get some food in her, not knowing if she'd even snacked all day. He grabbed a can of soup, his can opener, and a pot and headed out of the room to the kitchen to warm it up. Returning to the room, he saw Chad approaching the door and moved over to him swiftly to shush him and explain about Gabriella and that she was sleeping. Chad shook his head at her stubbornness too but just grinned at his friend, doing his best to take care of her. He opened the door for Troy and entered quietly himself. Troy grabbed a bowl from their stash of dishes by their mini-fridge and poured some soup into it, putting the pot with the rest of the soup down on a potholder on top of the fridge. He grabbed a spoon and sat the bowl on the floor. Chad went to his desk and started to check his email, watching his friends out of the corner of his eye. _

_Troy knelt down on the floor next to the bowl, leaning over Gabriella and shaking her lightly. Gabriella just sighed softly. Smiling, Troy shook her gently once more. This roused her and she slowly opened her eyes to look up at him, surprise clouding them for a few seconds until she remembered where she was. Looking down, she saw that Troy had pulled the covers up over her. He was now smiling down at her. _

_"Oh, Troy, I'm sorry. How long did I sleep? I didn't mean to. I just wanted to rest a few minutes."_

_"Don't be silly, Brie. You must have needed the sleep. It's only been a few hours and it's fine. I used the time to catch up on some of my class work."_

_Gabriella smiled at his understanding and his usage of one of her other nicknames. _

_"Come on," he urged softly, "come sit on the floor with me. I made dinner."_

_She smiled again, amusement on her face thinking of Troy making dinner. She sat up slowly and slid down onto the floor with her back against the bed. _

_"Wait," Troy said, grabbing one of his blankets and pulling it off the bed to wrap it around her shoulders. "There...better...you look much better warm," he said with a smirk._

_"Um, thanks I guess."_

_Troy reached back and grabbed the bowl of chicken noodle soup, holding up a spoonful and blowing on it since it was still steaming. He held the bowl in front of her with the spoon poised above it and in front of her mouth. Now, Gabriella was really amused. Her eyes twinkling, she slowly opened her mouth as Troy placed the spoonful of soup inside it. Swallowing, she started to speak, "Troy, I can..."_

_"Ella...hush," Troy cut her off._

_Smiling, she complied, opening her mouth to receive another spoonful. Chad couldn't decide whether or not he was completely amused or disgusted. Going with the former, he thought about how much of a great story this would be to share with Taylor and the guys. This thought in mind, he quietly reached for his camera, which was perched on the shelf above his desk, and leaned back in his chair, snapping a photo of Troy feeding his best female friend and not accepting any protests from her in the process.  
__  
_

* * *

Gabriella smiled again thinking about how Troy had taken care of her that day...that weekend, in fact. She had actually gotten quite the cold, but she certainly never regretted visiting her friends that weekend. She glanced back down at the rest of the photos showing she, Troy, and Chad with some of their school chums hanging out in their dorm room and then at a party in another dorm and also just walking around the campus, as she had gotten the full tour. It had turned out to be a great weekend.

Turning to the next layout, Gabriella's face lit up. There before her were pictures of she and Troy at their favorite park, pictures of them individually and self-portraits they'd taken since no one else had been there with them. There were photos of them with a blanket and picnic basket laid out near a stream and of them standing in front of a covered bridge. There was a picture of Gabriella looking contemplatively out toward the water, which she hadn't even realized Troy had taken. They had visited this park and hiked around and picnicked there more than once, but she remembered this specific time...

* * *

_  
"Here looks good," she said, looking over her shoulder at Troy who was following her, a blanket swung over his shoulder and a picnic basket in his other hand. _

_"As the lady wishes," Troy said with a grin, setting down the basket and laying the blanket out on the grass. He slipped his shoes off placing them on one corner of the blanket and Gabriella did the same with hers on the opposite corner. They both sat down on the blanket then and Troy reached over to grab the basket so they could start unloading their goodies. _

_"Peanut butter and jelly, Troy? You went all out," Gabriella teased, not minding Troy's signature sandwich in the least._

_"I really did," Troy replied playfully, pulling a bag full of grapes out of the basket, a container of strawberries, and a wedge of cheese. "These grapes and strawberries...picked 'em myself...and this cheese, well, don't even ask what I had to do with ole Bessie the cow to get this cheese made for you," Troy joked, making Gabriella laugh at his antics. _

_"You're very silly...you know that, right?"_

_"Would you have it any other way?"_

_Gabriella's smile widened at this. "Nope."_

_"Thought so."_

_"Alright, Troy, don't get cocky now," she reprimanded lightly._

_"Yes, ma'am," he replied, earning a playful smack from Gabriella. _

_They settled in to eat their dinner as they caught up regarding their jobs, their relationships, and their lives. Gabriella was only casually dating at the time. She hadn't gotten into anything more serious since Ray. She was now working for the AIDS Community Center and, while she did enjoy the case work, it had been particularly difficult for her lately._

_"So, how's work going? How's Mr. C?" Troy asked, taking another bite of his sandwich. For confidentiality reasons, when Gabriella talked about her clients, she just referred to them generically by the first letter of their last name._

_Gabriella's chewing slowed down until she swallowed the bite she had taken a few moments ago. She looked down at the blanket, sadness in her eyes, shaking her head back and forth slightly._

_"Oh, no, Ella...another one?" Troy asked, sympathy in his voice._

_"Yep, I'm apparently such good luck for them," she said, sarcasm lacing her voice._

_"Ella, you know it has nothing to do with you."_

_"I know Troy. It's okay. But it's one of those things where my co-workers joke with me that I'm bad luck because it's better to laugh than cry about it, ya know?"_

_"Yeah...I get it. But, are you okay? I mean...it's me. You can talk to me about it more if it helps."_

_"Thanks, Troy. I don't know if it does, but, well, Mr. C. is the third patient I've lost now. If you could have met him...he had so much life in him really...such a sweet spirit...and the new home seemed good for him. He seemed happy there with the other patients. Last time I visited him, he couldn't get out of bed. Times before that, we'd gotten to go meet and discuss his progress in the garden area and on the patio and stuff. So, I knew he wasn't doing well. But he still had that warm smile of his and his spirit was still as sweet and unbothered as always. I just...I get the physical aspects Troy, but it's hard for me to get anything beyond that...why such a sweet man had to get this horrible disease and why it had to take him so young..." Gabriella broke off, looking away as a tear slipped down her cheek._

_Troy reached out and wiped the tear gently with his thumb and then let his hand fall to cover hers that was sitting in her lap at the moment. Taking her hand, he squeezed it comfortingly. "Ella...no one understands that...it's just...part of some bigger plan...but what's important is that you said he was happy. It sounds like he was at peace with his situation and he was making the most of each day he had. You said he liked the home and the people there and it seems like you and he had a good relationship too...and I know you can bring a ray of sunlight into anyone's life, so he was lucky to have you in his...not unlucky."_

_Gabriella turned to look back at Troy, seeing that the sincerity on his face mirrored that in his voice. Sighing, she tried to give him a small smile, though sadness was still in her eyes. "Thank you, Troy," she said softly, squeezing his hand back and looking back out at the water briefly, trying to compose herself. The loss was fresh right now. She knew that and she knew it would take time to heal. She also knew that Troy had been a source of strength for her healing for quite a few years now. She turned back to him and smiled a bit bigger, veering the conversation in a different direction, asking about his team, the coach, and their preparations for the upcoming season. _

_When they were done eating, they decided to take a hike. They ended up walking a path that led them to their favorite covered bridge. Standing inside the bridge, Gabriella looked out one of the window openings. "Now, what's going on in that mind of yours?" Troy asked teasingly. _

_"Nothing much, really," she replied, sending a small smile his way. "Just thinking about how many times we've come to this park over the years and how much our lives have changed from visit to visit. I don't know...just...how 'adult' we are now, it's just odd sometimes...I don't always feel like an adult, but then some days when I'm dealing with really serious issues like with Mr. C. I really do."_

_"I think it's probably good to not feel like an adult sometimes...maybe it keeps us from going crazy," Troy said, returning her small smile._

_"Yeah, I guess."_

_"Like, for instance...right now...race you to the end of the bridge!" Troy yelled before sprinting toward the opening at the other end._

_Laughing, Gabriella turned and began her own sprint in that direction, catching up to Troy and tickling his sides briefly, breaking his rhythm and slowing him down so she could take him over. As she exited the bridge just a hair's breadth ahead of Troy, he grabbed hold of her waist and spun her around a bit. _

_"That was cheating, Montez!" he said in an incredulous tone._

_"Says the man who gave himself a headstart!" Gabriella replied indignantly, putting one hand on her waist as Troy set her down._

_Grinning, Troy held his hand out in front of him. "Fair enough. Truce?"_

_Gabriella stood silent with a mischievous look on her face before taking off and running up the hill, turning back only to yell "First one to the swings!" leaving a momentarily stunned Troy standing next to the bridge with his right hand still held out in front of him. Catching on quickly and chuckling to himself, Troy took off after her, determined to catch up to her and give her a taste of her own medicine._

* * *

Gabriella smiled, remembering how Troy had caught up to her and tackled her to the ground tickling her senseless before pulling himself up and making it to the swings first, evening things up, and how she had virtually stomped the rest of the way to the swings, never having been a gracious loser. Troy had buttered her up quickly though, offering to push her on the swings for a while. The two had hung out there for a while, swinging like younger versions of themselves, chatting away about serious and not so serious aspects of their lives. It had just felt great hanging out...the way it always felt great and just right whenever they hung out together.

Looking down at the pictures again, Gabriella pondered this. Troy was always there for her, with anything...before, during, and after their romantic relationship...when she had broken her wrist with the stupid skateboard stunt, when she had stressed out over SATs, AP exams, and college applications in high school, when she and Jeremy's relationship had ended, when everything with Ray had gone sour, when she'd dealt with tough losses on the job like Mr. C, when she'd dealt with losses in her own family like the loss of her grandfather earlier that year...even back when they'd had the pregnancy scare in high school. Troy had been there for her, fully supportive, in it with her, in ways that other teenage boys might not have been...and he would've continued to have been with her if she hadn't pushed him away. She was sure of that. At the same time, she was glad for all they had accomplished in the years since with careers that made them both happy. None of that had been ruined. Would it have been if she had decided differently all those years ago? Who knew? It was impossible to know. But, that was then. Could they make a go of it now? That's what she needed to decide…

* * *

AUTHOR'S NOTE: So...some more fluffy goodness with purpose. Are we happy with Gabriella's thought process so far? Wondering where Troy is? Well, be dears and review and I'll be sure to send him over to your place with some steaming chicken noodle soup as my thank you! ;-)


	14. To Be Determined

**Looking Back to Move Forward  
**

SUMMARY: Troy and Gabriella have been friends for 11 years, best friends. They've even been more, but circumstances years ago led them to end their romance and revert back to just being friends. But will one special weekend of reminiscing about their lives and the memories they've shared remind them of the one thing that they're both missing? M for adult situations/subject matter and sexual references/depictions.

DISCLAIMER: I do not own these wonderful characters...I just love them like the rest of you. :-) And, I do not own any movies related to um, er, nurses...LOL...you'll see what I mean. ;-)

AUTHOR'S NOTE: Hello all! Well, I continue to just love your reviews. They really kind of help me evaluate things with the story and I just really appreciate them, so thank you! Also, welcome to some of the newer readers...so very glad you found this story and are enjoying it! Oh, and if you did leave a review and Troy has not yet arrived at your place with your soup, do forgive him...he seems to be in high demand...I'm sure he'll make it there eventually. ;-)

And, I apologize for the delay but I have a very good reason...aside from waiting on Troy to get back from his deliveries...LOL! Here it is: I...met...Vanessa!! Seriously. :-) A public cd signing event...totally last minute thing but I had planned this trip to visit family & friends and then found out she was doing this event the same weekend...figured it was fate that I was going to be there anyway...hee hee...they rushed us through so I got to stand in front of her for only maybe 30 seconds, but it was lovely...she is lovely...gave her a gift...and she made eye contact and said "thank you very much" in this drawn out super sweet, sincere voice, holding her hand to her heart when she said it and thanked me for being there and I thanked her and she said "you're welcome" and then I had to move as the staff were pretty darn pushy. But, anyway, just had to share that. She's beautiful...seemingly inside and out. :-) Okay, okay...now that I've shared...read on...have a fabulous day!

* * *

Chapter 14 – To Be Determined

Gabriella turned the pages of the scrapbook to see that the next two layouts were from Sharpay and Zeke's and Chad and Taylor's weddings, respectively. They had lots of group shots and shots of Troy and Gabriella together. They had been in the wedding party for each wedding and had ended up walking down the aisle together and dancing together at the receptions, not that they minded in the least…

* * *

"_Can I steal Gabriella away for a dance?" Troy asked, gently tapping Sharpay's brother, Ryan, on the shoulder._

"_Oh…uh, sure thing, Troy," Ryan said with a smile handing Gabriella over._

_Gabriella smiled, raising her arms up over Troy's shoulders and linking her hands behind his neck. Troy moved his own hands so that they rested on Gabriella's lower back. As soon as Ryan was out of earshot, Gabriella spoke._

"_Oh, thank goodness. I love Ryan, but man, he tires me out. He's doing all these twirls and funky dance steps and just doesn't realize the rest of us did not take years of dance lessons."_

_Troy chuckled. "Yeah, you looked like you were getting a bit weary."_

_Gabriella laughed. "Definitely. So, thanks for rescuing me, Troy."_

"_Anytime," Troy returned with a smile, before asking "So…things went pretty smoothly today, huh?"_

"_Before or after Sharpay threw a fit about the ratio of light pink to dark pink flowers not being correct in her bouquet or fired the soloist at the last minute, deciding to sing the song at her own wedding?" Gabriella replied, cocking an eyebrow and smirking at him._

"_Uh, well, after that…"_

_Gabriella giggled. "Okay, after that…I guess it has gone smoothly. She certainly succeeded in being the most gorgeous bride this town will ever see."_

"_Oh, I don't know about that," Troy said with a soft smile._

"_What do you mean, Troy?"_

_Troy glanced away for a second, not sure he should have said that. Looking back at Gabriella's inquisitive face, he decided to continue to share his thought honestly._

"_I just mean…well…I just kind of always figured you'd end up being the most beautiful bride this town will ever see," he said softly, briefly meeting her eyes._

_Gabriella just stared back into those sincere eyes for a moment. "Uh…you're too sweet, Troy…"_

"_Nah…just all knowing," Troy joked. _

_Gabriella scrunched up her face and smacked him playfully at this, before letting her lips curve up into a sweet smile and leaning to rest her head against Troy's shoulder for the remainder of the dance._

* * *

Gabriella remembered sharing that dance and a few others with Troy at Sharpay and Zeke's reception. Thinking back on the dance now, she remembered Troy's sweet comment about her being the most beautiful bride. She had pondered that statement then but had brushed it off and forgotten it until now. She wandered at Troy thinking of her as a bride. Hmmm. She let her mind run astray for a second, envisioning herself in the wedding gown of her dreams…envisioning Troy in a well-cut tux…she walking down an aisle…Troy waiting at the other end… A blush rose on her cheeks, though no one was around to see it. Shaking her head to clear it, she chided herself. 'Okay, Gabriella, he hasn't asked you to marry him, just to be his girlfriend again...seriously, if you can't even grasp that, stop thinking about a wedding!'

'Ah, the girlfriend question,' she thought further. She was still trying to grasp how they had physically escalated their relationship again this weekend. Though, if she was honest with herself, it's not like she hadn't thought of doing so plenty over the years. She had just always held back. She had caused Troy a lot of heartache back in high school; she pushed him away. She wasn't going to mess with his emotions…they worked well as friends. Plus, they were often alternately in and out of relationships with others and even if they hadn't been, things had always just seemed friendly on Troy's end…like he was over her in a romantic sense...or so she had surmised. But this weekend, well, they were now both unattached and they had been missing each other since Troy had been away. Was that it though? Were they just reacting to that situation? Thinking about this more, Gabriella did remember a few times when she had felt the physical attraction between them was pulling at them both…and they weren't necessarily times when they were single or had been away from each other much. So, maybe… One of these times moved to the forefront of Gabriella's mind…

* * *

"_Troy, thanks so much for coming with me tonight! It just made it a lot more fun than I'm sure it would have been," Gabriella said sincerely, as they entered their hotel room._

_Troy grinned. "Yeah, well, it's rough work coming to your company party at this five-star mountain resort and eating free steak and drinking free drinks…man, the things you ask of me!" he said, rolling his eyes._

"_You're right…you should be thanking me," Gabriella shot back playfully._

"_Oh, is that right, Montez? Well, how about I thank you by promising not to make you sleep on the sofa?" Troy said with a smirk._

_Suddenly, the smile on Gabriella's face faltered a bit. She hadn't really thought much about the sleeping arrangements. The company had made the reservation for her, as they were putting all the employees up for the night since the party was held a ways out of town, and had given her a room with one Queen bed, rather than two, which she had mistakenly assumed it would have. _

_Troy noticed Gabriella's change of facial expression and quirked a brow at her. "Um, what's wrong?"_

_Gabriella hesitated. "Um…nothing really…I just hadn't really thought about our sleeping arrangements. I really can take the sofa if you like. You're my guest at this shindig after all."_

_Troy eyed up the tiny sofa in the corner and then looked back at Gabriella. "Don't be silly, Ella. That sofa's much too small for either of us to find comfort on it. We can just share the bed."_

_Gabriella's eyes flicked to the bed and she tilted her head thoughtfully. Troy watched as she considered their options or lack thereof, thinking that he was not about to sleep on the floor as he had done in college and that that small sofa did not look one bit appealing...also that they really should be able to share a bed in a platonic manner after all this time._

"_Ella…it's not a big deal. We're both adults…and I promise I'll do my best not to kick you if you do the same," he said, trying to keep the mood light._

_This made Gabriella smile. "Okay, Troy. You're right. I'm just…being silly."_

"_It's not silly. I get it. We haven't really slept in the same bed since…er…well, for years. But, anyway, no reason we can't tonight."_

"_You sure Molly won't mind?"_

"_Eh…I don't need to tell her," he said, thinking about how his girlfriend wouldn't be too keen on the idea, especially since she had already accused him of being a bit too close to his best friend before he had left to pick Gabriella up to come to this party, much to his annoyance._

"_Um…true…I suppose. So, I guess I'm just gonna go get ready for bed," she said, grabbing her pajamas from her suitcase and heading into the bathroom to change, wash her face, and brush her teeth. A few seconds later, she came walking back out of the bathroom, just in time to see Troy pulling his pants off and standing only in his boxers. Her eyes widened and then she quickly blinked and focused upward. Troy turned around to see Gabriella staring at him, biting her lip a bit. _

"_Um, sorry to bug, but I think my zipper's stuck," Gabriella said, turning her back to him and sweeping her hair over one shoulder, so that he could see that she had only gotten it pulled down a few inches. _

_Troy walked over to her and gently moved a few more stray pieces of hair out of his way with his left hand, brushing Gabriella's neck with his fingers, sending brief shivers through her though she didn't understand why exactly. With his right hand, he tugged on the offending zipper. Seeing that Gabriella was right and it wasn't budging well, he used his left hand to hold the dress while he yanked harder on the zipper with his right. Finally, it unjammed and he was able to unzip the dress down to her waist, his eyes not missing the back of the silky black bra she wore beneath it or the smooth contours of her back. Gabriella turned shyly to thank him before making her way back into the restroom._

_When she returned the second time, she saw that Troy had pulled on pajama pants and had left the wifebeater on that he had worn underneath his dress shirt. Looking away lest her eyes linger too long on those broad shoulders, she made her way over to the bed, turning back the covers on one side before climbing in and turning to figure out the alarm clock. Having a thought, she turned back to Troy briefly._

_"Do you care if I take this side? Sorry, I didn't even ask which side you wanted."_

_"Nah, it's fine. I still prefer the left side, and I'm assuming you still prefer the right," he said pointedly, looking at her chosen side._

_"Uh, yeah," she said sheepishly. "Glad that works for you."_

_Troy then took a few moments to use the restroom himself, as Gabriella had turned back to the alarm. When he returned, he grabbed the television remote and climbed under the covers on his side of the bed. "Care to watch some tv before sleeping?" he asked._

"_Sure."_

_Troy turned on the tv, only to be met with a menu of purchasable movies, the mini-trailers for which were playing…except, at the moment, the movies being advertised were…well…not of the innocent sort. _

_Both of their eyes widened a second and crimson rose on their cheeks as they watched the trailer for "Naughty Nurses 5" playing in front of them._

"_Um…uh…I don't think I've come across any nurses who were quite that…nice," Troy said, with a nervous laugh._

_Gabriella scrunched up her nose and let out an unladylike snort. "Well, I should hope not. You'd be injuring yourself on purpose or making up recurring ailments just to get to visit them at the hospital if you had."_

_Troy pursed his lips, shaking his head at her accusation. "Whatever, Missy…throw some too nice male nurses into the mix, and you'd be right there with me."_

"_Ha! You wish!"_

_Troy smirked at this, his eyes sparkling a bit._

"_I mean…not that you wish that I was there…um…er…you know what I mean," Gabriella added weakly._

_Troy just laughed. "Uh, yeah. I do. Let's just see what else might be on." He grabbed the remote and changed the channel…except that what came on next was Cinemax…late night Cinemax._

_Troy tilted his head a bit, still feeling slightly embarrassed. "Uh…skin-a-max," he muttered._

"_What?"_

"_Oh, sorry…it's just, skin-a-max, that's what the guys call this. Cinemax's late night soft core stuff."_

"_And, you and the guys watch this often?" Gabriella teased._

"_Sure…when drunk and bored…we, uh, critique it."_

"_Uh, huh"_

"_No, seriously. I mean, take this for instance. Looking at that angle, how can anyone believe they are actually doing anything? And, that elevator music…how is that supposed to put anyone in the mood?"_

_Gabriella laughed at Troy's critique, as he put it. "Well, Troy, I think it has its purpose…it's a softer, more romantic, artistic take…and there's more of a story…this couple actually seems like they're in a relationship…like they're in love."_

"_Yes, but…still, it's so fake."_

"_Most movies are fake, Troy…not everyone needs to see…so much…detail."_

"_I get that, but it just seems like a waste…either just watch your normal movies or watch your porn, but don't bother with this middle of the road crap."_

_Amusement shown on Gabriella's face. "You certainly seem to feel strongly about the subject, Troy."_

_Now, the crimson rose higher on Troy's cheeks. He cleared his throat a bit. "No…I just…well, anyway, that's just the kind of discussion the guys have…you asked."_

"_I'm just messin' with you, Troy. Everyone watches some version of this at some point. It's no big deal."_

"_And you?" Troy teased._

_Gabriella smirked at him. "Well, I'm sitting here watching it with you, aren't I?"_

_Troy grinned. _

_And, so they did continue to "critique" for several more minutes, laughing at their assertions and at the silliness of the situation before they both started yawning and decided it was time to get some sleep. Troy switched off the television, placed the remote on the nightstand, and lay back. Gabriella took a sip of the water she'd left on her nightstand before lying back as well, resting her head on her pillow. The quiet took over them again at the interesting situation they found themselves in. Troy leaned up and switched off the lamp. _

"_Uh, night, Ella," he said quietly._

"_Night, Troy," she returned softly, before rolling onto her side, her back facing him. _

_Troy stared at it for a few moments before turning onto his own side facing away from her._

_It took them both a while to get to sleep, each sensing the other's body heat and thinking of what they'd just been watching on tv and thinking back on how much closer they used to be in a bed. _

_The next morning, Gabriella had woken up to find herself half-snuggled into Troy's side as he had rolled onto his back. Jerking awake once she realized what she was doing, she took a breath and eased herself back toward her own side of the bed, staring at his peacefully sleeping form with a small smile before quietly slipping out of bed and toward the bathroom. _

_Once Troy heard the bathroom door shut, he had let his eyes drift open, blowing out a breath. He had been awake for several minutes, and had just been enjoying the feel of Gabriella snuggled up to him. Then, he had just felt an inexplicable tug at his heart when she had jerked back and then moved away from him. Sighing, he had laid there for a while until Gabriella had come back out showered and dressed and he had made his way to the bathroom to get ready to move on with the new day._

* * *

Gabriella sighed. Maybe it had always been there since the break up...that physical pull...that attraction...and they had just finally given in…given up trying to keep things safe. She had spent a lot of time this weekend remembering both the ways they had been with each other emotionally and physically over the years. And, she was honestly having trouble finding fault with either, other than that maybe she could have stayed snuggled up to Troy that morning and seen how he would have reacted...but, no use contemplating that now. For better or worse, they hadn't really "gone there" again until last night.

Gabriella decided to push on with her task, turning to the next layout in the scrapbook. It was titled 'Gabriella's 25th Birthday' and just had various balloons and streamers decorating the edges but the pages themselves were blank, presumably to put photos on once they got those printed out that her friends had taken two nights ago. Turning to the final page of the scrapbook, Gabriella couldn't help but suck in a breath as she saw that this page was also blank but for a footer at the bottom of the page that read 'To be determined.' She realized that Troy didn't have to mean anything specific by it when he was finishing the scrapbook and that he was probably just trying to find a cute way to end it, but it seemed so very appropriate given the state of their relationship at this moment.

Shutting the scrapbook, Gabriella stood up and began to pace about the room, pausing from time to time to look out the window, not sure when to expect Troy back.

* * *

Troy, in the meantime, had driven himself to their favorite park and was spending his time walking along the stream, following their hiking path, thinking on their bridge, and swinging on their swings. He wondered what Gabriella was doing at that moment. He wondered if she was on the deck thinking, was curled up in a ball in her living room thinking, or was down the road chatting it up with her crock pot-borrowing neighbors, not a care in the world. Groaning, he threw his head back as he let himself just swing back and forth, the air passing over his face, his body feeling somewhat out of his control. He remembered all the great times he and Gabriella had spent at this park, how much they had talked about, how much laughing they had done. His life felt almost centered around his times with Gabriella, like there was life before Gabriella and life after...and he wouldn't have it any other way.

* * *

Gabriella needed perspective, one other than hers. She went to her kitchen and grabbed her phone before heading out onto the deck. Dialing the familiar number, she waited.

"Hello."

"Hey Shar, it's me."

"Hey Gabs! Miss me already, huh?"

Gabriella smiled. "Yep. And...I need to ask you something."

"Um...okay, shoot."

Gabriella sighed, pausing and considering her words. "Okay, well, so, have you ever thought that...Troy and I would...get back together...I mean, as a couple?"

Gabriella pulled the phone away from her ear as the loud squeal made its way through the earpiece. "Uh, Shar?"

"Gabriella Montez! Are you back together? Have you two finally come to your senses?!"

"Um...maybe...I don't know. So, you have thought that then, huh?"

"Well, duh! Honestly, we never thought you'd stay just friends this long. You two are meant to be together Gabs. You always have been. I knew it when you first introduced me to the dork, when Zekey and I left you guys at the beach house, when you were broken up but couldn't stop staring at each other longingly at both proms, when you danced at our wedding and basically stole the show for a few minutes...which I'm still mad at you for by the way..." Sharpay huffed at this before continuing. Gabriella's mouth was open in a big "O" on the other end of the line, not that Sharpay could see it. "Anyway, Gabs, you and Troyboy are about the only two who haven't realized this yet. Or have you? Tell me you have," she finished excitedly.

Gabriella's head was spinning. "Wha...why...why are we meant to be together?"

"Ugh! Honestly, for a smart girl..." Sharpay sighed. "Okay, first, you completely complement each other...you're what he needs when he needs it...he's what you need when you need it...you finish each other's sentences, you do things for each other without either of you having to ask and you know just what to do. We love you both but knowing one of you is knowing the other, for real...you're like that close...it's kind of creepy...but mostly sweet. Anyway, we can't imagine a world without the two of you in it and completely tied to each other and I'm sure you guys can't either. The only thing you're denying your stupid selves is the crazy physical attraction you have that everyone sees all the time anyway. You should see the way you two flirt and don't even realize it. It's disgusting...but sweet. He makes you happy, Gabs. You make him happy. Just be happy together already!"

As Sharpay finished her little speech, Gabriella leaned her head back into the chair she'd sunken into a few minutes ago and shut her eyes. All her friend had said was running through her mind at a sickening speed. She had called Sharpay because she knew if she asked her directly, her friend would not mince words. Sharpay had also played a huge part in the development of her relationship with Troy with the beach house and all the intensity that followed from that.

Hearing only Gabriella's breathing on the other end of the line, Sharpay softened her tone. "Look, Gabs...I know you felt strongly about your reasons years ago. I get that. And, maybe that was the right choice for you then. But, you are both adults now. You've been through college and moved on to great jobs. You have all you ever wanted, except each other. And, if you really stop and let yourself acknowledge it, you know he's all you've ever wanted...he's the missing piece, Gabs."

She heard Gabriella sniffle through the earpiece and smiled. She did understand the stubbornness of her friend. She had tried to change her mind years ago after she'd finally let her in on why she and Troy had broken up. But Gabriella's mind had been set, which is why she hadn't really pushed the matter since then, hoping her friends would come to their senses one day. She had honestly about given up on them. But hearing Gabriella finally ask her the question she'd been dying to give her two cents on for years, Sharpay couldn't resist telling her all she thought on the matter. And, it sounded like it was exactly what she had needed to hear. Smiling to herself, she spoke quietly once more. "Gabs, you okay?"

Gabriella wiped a tear that had fallen down her cheek, not one of sadness, just one of relief and of decision. "Yeah, Shar," she breathed out. "Yeah, I am...thank you...thank you for everything."

"Anytime, Gabs. Now, go get Bolton...but I want details later, okay?"

Gabriella let a small laugh escape her mouth. "Okay, Shar. Bye."

"Bye!"

Hanging up the phone, Gabriella set it down on the table, resting in the chair a few minutes more. Sharpay had confirmed for her exactly what she did feel, all she had been thinking about regarding the strength of the emotional and physical connections she had with Troy. She had confirmed for her that it had been evident to those outside their relationship that neither connection had ever really lessened or gone away, just that they had managed to control the level of these connections based on what they both felt the relationship was supposed to be over the years since their break up. And she had unknowingly reminded her of that conversation she'd had with her grandmother once more. It was true. Troy was her match...and beyond that, the love she felt for him did indeed leave her feeling full from the tips of her toes to the end of each strand of her hair. She smiled at the thought. It had sounded like such a silly description when her grandmother had said it, but it was true. He was all she really needed. He always had been. And he'd never failed her; he'd never left her. Romantically involved or not, their friendship had always stood constant. She didn't really have any reason to believe that it wouldn't continue to do so no matter where life led them. But, being honest with herself now, she knew that something more than friendship had also always been there between them...and she needed to stop being afraid…if she wanted the happiness for she and Troy that she felt certain they could have together now and in the future. Gabriella sighed. She had kind of taken him for granted for years now, but she didn't intend to any longer, if he'd let her make it up to him. She wanted to make up for lost time. She wanted to love him in every way possible each day they had left on this earth. She wanted them to be happy...together.

* * *

AUTHOR'S NOTE: So...biting nails...I hope that Gabriella's coming around feels realistic. I could have her figure things out over weeks on end, possibly with thousands more memories, but I really always saw this story as something taking place over this one weekend with much history to back it up. So, anyway, hope it does. And in the general scheme, I suspect no one's unhappy with Gabriella's decision. :-) So, now that that's settled... ;-) And, yes, I know...only a brief glimpse of Troy in this chapter...mainly so you know he hasn't decided to leave the country or something random like that...LOL! Oh, yeah, and have I mentioned I love Sharpay? Grin Finally...as I'm sure you can figure out, this story is approaching its end...only a few more chapters I think...and that is sad for me...but happy too, as I have about 25 other story ideas! Eek! Well, thanks again for all the support!!


	15. Remember That Feeling, Troy

**Looking Back to Move Forward  
**

SUMMARY: Troy and Gabriella have been friends for 11 years, best friends. They've even been more, but circumstances years ago led them to end their romance and revert back to just being friends. But will one special weekend of reminiscing about their lives and the memories they've shared remind them of the one thing that they're both missing? M for adult situations/subject matter and sexual references/depictions.

DISCLAIMER: I do not own these wonderful characters...I just love them like the rest of you. :-)

AUTHOR'S NOTE: Whew! Glad Gabriella's decision worked for everyone...was quite afraid you might all be hoping she'd want Ray back... ;-) Seriously, thank you for the helpful feedback about the last chapter - it was good to know her decision seemed realistic and not too rushed. Now, I thought it was time for Troy to get back to the business of being besotted with his Ella instead of the soup delivery business...but, maybe we can clone him and keep everyone happy. ;-) Enjoy!

* * *

Chapter 15 – Remember That Feeling, Troy

As Troy walked through the park, back along the familiar hiking path, he passed one of the picnic pavilions the park had set out at different spots for families and large groups that wanted to have their events in the park. Troy thought back to an event Gabriella had actually planned here years ago. It was back when they were in karate class together and were just becoming friends. They had worked hard and had given great exhibitions in the local parades and Gabriella organized a summer picnic in the park to celebrate and for the class to just get to know each other better. It was also the end of the karate class's session until the Fall, so she wanted to hang out with everyone one more time before being away from them for a couple of months.

* * *

_  
Troy stood toward the edge of the pavilion and watched Gabriella move from one small clump of students from their class to another, chatting away happily and making sure everyone seemed to be having a good time, offering to get them more punch or soda if they needed it and just generally being a great hostess for her party. Her thoughtfulness made him smile. Seeing her approach him, Troy took another sip of his punch, his eyes flicking to the ground before rising up to meet hers as she stopped in front of him._

"_Having fun over here being the strong, silent type? Or are you just too cool for the rest of us?" Gabriella teased._

_Troy smirked. "Yes and yes," he joked right back. _

_Gabriella laughed. "Seriously, you having fun? I don't know if I should be like leading games or just letting everyone alone."_

"_You're doing a great job. Everyone seems to be having a great time…and yes, I am too," Troy said with a smile._

_Gabriella smiled back. "Thanks, Troy. I'm glad."_

"_But, you are running around like a super hostess. You deserve a break. Wanna take a walk with me?"_

_Gabriella's smile grew a bit bigger. Biting her lip a bit, she turned her head to look around at the different groups of people who were talking, eating, or congregating at the nearby jungle gyms. Everyone seemed to be having fun. She turned back to Troy, nodding her head as she said "Sure."_

"_Cool." Troy set his cup down on a picnic table to retrieve again later since Gabriella had provided markers so everyone could write their names on their cups so they didn't lose them. He turned away from the pavilion and started toward a path that led them down into the trees but also along the water. Gabriella kept pace with him as they just walked in silence for a few minutes._

_Troy broke the silence. "So, you're definitely a force to be reckoned with in class."_

_A blush rose on Gabriella's cheeks at this, even as she delighted at the compliment. "Um, thanks Troy…so are you."_

"_Thanks. Just so you know, if I were encountering a gang of thugs in some dark alley, I'd totally want you there to have my back."_

_Gabriella giggled at this. "Glad you have so much faith in me."_

"_Have you seen yourself when you're in the zone?" Troy asked incredulously._

"_Uh…"_

"_Well, anyway, you're awesome. Don't doubt it." _

"_Okay. And, Troy, I'd totally want you to have my back in a dark alley too."_

_Looking at each other at this, their faces were both lit up with warm smiles._

"_And, apparently you're a good guy to have out on the basketball court too from what I hear," Gabriella continued, wanting to take the focus off of her._

_Now, it was Troy's turn to blush a little. "Um, I guess…I try my best."_

"_Now, I think you're being modest," Gabriella pressed._

_Troy shoved his hands deep into the pockets of his shorts as he shrugged his shoulders. "I just…love the game, so I give it my all…and I guess I do manage to score a lot of baskets, but it's just what I like to do."_

"_You don't have to defend it, Troy. I get it. You should do what makes you happy and if you're good at it, then more's the blessing."_

"_Thanks, Gabriella. You know, I'm really glad you joined our class. And, it's really nice that you threw this party today. I know everyone appreciates it."_

"_Well, I just thought it'd be nice for everyone to get to know each other some outside of the classroom and to relax a bit since we've all been working so hard to get things perfect for the parades."_

"_I know…it's just that the rest of us might not have thought up such a cool idea, and you not only thought of it but made sure it happened. So, basically, you rock."_

_Gabriella blushed again. "Okay, enough with the flattery…perhaps we should pick at each other's faults or we'll both get big heads."_

_Troy chuckled. "Hmmm…well, you totally didn't ask if I needed a refill on my punch."_

_Gabriella gasped in mock indignation. "Well, of all the ungrateful…" she said, attempting an annoyed tone, which only made Troy laugh more and caused her to burst into giggles too._

"_Okay, don't know if this will work…I don't know your faults so I can't really pick on them," Troy said, a bemused smirk on his face. _

"_Hmmm…well, let's see, I'm addicted to chapstick. Seriously…I can't stand not to have any. I've made my mom stop at the store on short day trips to get me some if I've forgotten it at home. I really think I need an intervention."_

_Troy was nearly doubled over with laughter at the way Gabriella was describing her 'problem.'_

"_Oh, and I'm fairly grumpy if I'm really hungry and haven't eaten. And, I can take forever to make a decision…"_

"_And you can talk too much?" Troy interrupted._

"_Hey!" Gabriella replied, holding up her fists and dropping into a ready stance in front of Troy. _

"_Okay, okay, Montez…seriously, no need to be a show off," Troy teased. _

_Gabriella straightened back up again. "Ha! Well, what about you, Bolton? Spill. What are your faults besides being completely insufferable?"_

_Troy laughed again. "Um, hmmm, well, I sleep late and I'm pretty grumpy if someone tries to wake me up too early. I don't like not doing well at something so I can be pretty hard on myself. Oh, and brownies, cupcakes, and chocolate chip cookies…beware…if they're around, I will eat them all, so you'd best grab any you want right up front. Oh, and cleaning…well, I mean, I am a guy, so you can't expect much from me there."_

_Gabriella grinned at Troy's list of faults. "So, you won't be staying back to help me clean up after the party, then, huh?"_

"_Well, guess that depends on whether or not there are any leftover cupcakes and brownies for you to bribe me with, huh?"_

"_Hmmm…there might be some extras stashed below the tables."_

"_Well, then, just tell me what needs doin' later."_

"_Thanks, Troy. You really don't have to help if you don't want to. I was just messing with you."_

"_No, it's cool. I don't mind…really, even if there aren't food bribes in it for me. Just don't expect any Martha Stewart type results from me, okay?"_

"_Okay."  
__  
_

* * *

And, Troy did help her clean that day. Rachel had been meant to help Gabriella out with the party but neither Troy nor Gabriella had been particularly saddened when, weeks before, she had announced she wouldn't be able to attend the party as she'd be on vacation with her family. Troy remembered he had breathed a sigh of relief learning this. He also remembered staying longer than the others after the party that day and gathering up the trash and putting food back into containers and helping Gabriella and Maria load the stuff back into Maria's car. He and Gabriella had talked all the while, learning more about each other's other hobbies, likes, and dislikes and about each other's other plans for the summer. Troy had told Gabriella he hoped to have a pool party with some friends in a few weeks and asked if she'd like to come. She said yes and they had exchanged phone numbers so they could get more details from one another later on. They had done so, but they had also just begun calling each other to talk on random occasions and had decided to hang out again at the park or their respective houses or going bowling or doing whatever other fun stuff they felt like, which very briefly included skateboarding, Troy mused.

He continued on down the path, thinking about how they might not have taken their friendship any further than karate class and how much of a waste that would have been. He couldn't imagine his life without having Gabriella play an important part in it. He thought back to her presence at his games and how it had helped spur him on. He thought about how she had helped him focus enough to do really well on his various high school exams and his college essays. He thought of her at his grandmother's funeral a few years ago. Finally, he thought of a time when he'd been ready to change the course of his future. It was sophomore year of college and Gabriella had shown up to visit him. She had been allowed to have a car on campus that year and had driven overnight to see him, hearing the anguish in his voice and hating that she wasn't there in person to help him through this…until she made the quick decision that she just had to be and got into her car at midnight and drove South to see him.

* * *

_  
Troy was having a very restless night's sleep. He'd hung up the phone from his conversation with Gabriella at about 11:30pm and though it was always good to hear her voice, he still felt no better about the situation he was in. The coach was riding him non-stop, being a total pain in his ass. His classes this year were harder and it seemed his teammates wanted him to devote less time to them and more to the game when it seemed the opposite was needed. He had just about had it with his coach and teammates and all the pressure he was under. His dad wasn't helping matters, expecting nothing but his 24/7, 100 percent dedication to the game along with seamless perfection in his academic and all other areas of his life. _

_Chad, being Chad, had some things wired well for himself at the school...underclassmen writing papers for him and such. Taylor would never approve, but given that she was hours away at a different school, she wasn't really privy to such information. But, that wasn't Troy. And, it frustrated the hell out of him that he wasn't handling everything perfectly. _

_When he spoke to Gabriella earlier, he had told her he was seriously considering quitting the team and possibly taking a break from school to boot. She had sounded less than pleased with these options. He hated ending conversations with her like they had, disappointment heavy in the dead air outside her mouthpiece, guilt heavy on his side of the phone and nothing feeling right or resolved. _

_He sighed, tossing onto his other side forcefully. Chad was crashing at one of the frat houses...he'd not surprisingly become good pals with guys in several of the frats, though he wasn't set on pledging to one in particular. Troy was glad he wasn't there. He didn't feel like dealing with Chad tonight anyway. As he was about to toss to his other side yet again, Troy heard a light knocking on his door. Pausing to listen, he waited, unsure if he'd actually heard anything. After a few minutes, he heard the sound again. Slowly untangling himself from his covers and pulling a t-shirt over his head, Troy made his way over to his door and looked out the peephole. Shock ran through him at what he saw...standing there in the middle of his dorm hallway looking anxious and tired was his best friend. He swung the door open._

_"Ella?!" he exclaimed in a harsh whisper. "What are you doing here?"_

_"Humph. Keeping you from being self-destructive," she replied, pushing past him and dropping her purse and small backpack she had quickly stuffed with a few items before hopping in her car onto his dorm room floor. _

_Troy shut the door behind her, still processing the fact that she was here in his room and not in her own many miles away. "What do you mean, Ella?" he asked, running his fingers through his mussed hair. _

_"Um, our conversation earlier."_

_Troy blinked. She had felt anxious over their conversation too...anxious enough to get in her car and drive down to see him that same night. 'Wow,' Troy thought. Not knowing what to say, he just stared at her dumbfounded for a few more minutes._

_Gabriella let out a frustrated groan, seeing this. Okay, it was time to put her plan in action. She had thought about it on the way down and though she really just wanted to crawl into bed right now, she knew that was not why she'd driven down here. Turning toward his closet, she reached inside and grabbed one of the basketballs he had sitting on the floor. Grabbing Troy's jacket from the closet as well, she tossed it to him, saying "Come on, Troy," before heading toward the door, opening it, and disappearing down the hallway. _

_Troy looked at the jacket in his hand and at his open door and at the clock by his bed that read "4:30am" and groaned, cursing to himself as he slid his arms into his jacket, slipped shoes on, grabbed his keys off his dresser, and headed out his door to follow his best friend. He found her at the elevator and just watched as she pushed the button for the lobby. Once outside the dorm building, he watched her look around before turning to him and asking "where's the nearest court?"_

_"What? Ella, it's nearly 5 a.m. Have you lost your mind?"_

_"Nope, you've been doing plenty of that for the both of us," she replied testily before demanding again for him to lead her to a basketball court._

_Sighing, Troy complied, leading them around the next dorm building to an outdoor court. Gabriella walked toward one of the baskets and attempted a shot from the free throw line, missing but catching the rebound. Instead of trying again, she bounced the ball toward him. Troy caught it naturally, looking at her like she was out of her mind. She just stared pointedly at the ball and the net, silently telling him to shoot it. Taking a deep breath, Troy lifted his arms and did just that, sinking the ball into the net with no real effort. Gabriella retrieved the ball and bounced it over to him again. Catching the ball, he just stared at her like she was seriously missing a few screws. _

_"Close your eyes."_

_"What?"_

_"Close your eyes." Sighing, Troy complied. "Now, shoot." _

_Blowing out a frustrated breath, Troy raised his arms and once again easily sunk the basket. He opened his eyes again to see Gabriella repeat her earlier actions. _

_"Now, the other one," she said, pointing toward the basket at the opposite end of the court. Humoring her once more, Troy turned and made the long shot into the basket at the other end of the court. Gabriella retrieved it and told him to repeat the action with his back to the basket. Troy was getting seriously annoyed but, knowing he could make the shot, couldn't resist doing so. _

_When Gabriella shot the ball back to him again, he set it down on the ground and plopped down next to it before she could give him another order. _

_"Oh...giving up, I see...not surprising," Gabriella said in a mocking voice._

_"What the hell is your problem, Ella?"_

_"What is my problem? My problem? You're talking about giving up everything you've ever dreamed of and I have the problem? You are unbelievable, Troy," she said, pacing in front of him, brushing the hair back from her face in a frustrated gesture._

_Troy groaned. "I just...need...a break," he gritted out._

_Shaking her head, Gabriella plopped herself down in front of him. "Troy, you're giving up. That's not like you. And, you'll regret it if you do."_

_"How do you know? It could be just what I need."_

_"You don't believe that...you just don't know what else to do, so you want to settle on that option. But that's bullshit."_

_"Then, what, oh wise one, should I do? You seem to know everything, so tell me!"_

_"Take it piece by piece. What's happening with your classes? Are you not using enough time to study? Are you too tired and falling asleep in classes and missing important information? What is it?"_

_"I'm just not as smart as you, I guess," he spit out._

_Gabriella narrowed her eyes at him. "Troy, don't be an ass. You know that's not true."_

_Troy blew out another frustrated breath, blowing his bangs a bit out of his eyes in the process. He closed his eyes a moment thinking about what she had asked him. Opening them, he tried to find the most honest answer. "I guess...kind of both...we practice sometimes till late at night and a lot of the times, the guys want to go out after and I try to study when I get back but I have fallen asleep and woken up the next morning with the book across my chest just in time to throw on clothes and run to class."_

_"So, are all of your classes suffering or just some?"_

_Troy thought about this. "Not all...phys. ed. is fine," he remarked with a smirk. Gabriella rolled her eyes at this before he continued. "No, not all, I guess. I do fine with my computer apps course because we do most of the work in class. Economics is pretty easy. My Lit class is half and half. I've read some of the books already, so that helps and the others are interesting, so easier to get through than my other textbooks. But, I have papers to write and I'm behind on that. And, my Prob & Stats class is a pain. I get sports statistics, but this stuff...I don't know why I need to know this. And, my General Psych class...it's interesting, but I'm really behind on the reading. I was guessing on a lot of the last exam and I hated that."_

_"Well, how well did you guess?"_

_"I don't know...we'll get the exams back this week."_

_"Okay, well, then worry about it if you need to when you get it back. But, as for the rest, it sounds like your main concerns then are the Lit papers, your Prob & Stats class, and your Psych class."_

_"I guess."_

_"So, we need to tackle them one at a time...which one has the nearest deadline?"_

_"I guess Lit. There's a paper due in a few days."_

_"Is it on one of the books you've read?"_

_"Yeah, it's on 'This Boy's Life' by Tobias Wolff."_

_"Oh, good book. I remember reading that after Leo was in the movie," Gabriella said with a grin._

_It was Troy's turn to roll his eyes. "Yes, I remember...I read it back then too, not because of the movie, thank you very much." A slight smile curled the corners of his lips. Gabriella was glad to see it._

_"Well, do you feel comfortable with the paper topic?"_

_"I think so. I just need to find time to write it."_

_"Okay, what's the next deadline-y thing after that?"_

_"I guess Stats...there's a test next week."_

_"Okay...so, have you considered the tutoring center?"_

_"Ella..."_

_"Troy, there's no shame in it. I've gone to ours."_

_"Probably to teach everyone else what they were teaching wrong."_

_"No, smart ass, to get some help. Organic Chem has been a real challenge for me, remember?"_

_"Oh...yeah...sorry."_

_"It's okay...just...go Troy. They'll help."_

_"When?"_

_"They probably have all kinds of odd hours that they can help. Mine does."_

_Troy sighed. "Fine. I'll try it."_

_"Good. Now, about Psych. I can probably help with that. I mean, you should try to do as much reading as possible, but if you can't read it all, do you have the study guide that goes with the textbook?"_

_"No. I don't think so."_

_"Hmmm...well, you should still be able to buy it at the bookstore. We'll get one for you. It's good because it helps zero in on the main points from the different chapters, so, if nothing else, you can make sure you know the key points that way and I can help quiz you too when you have tests coming because I aced Psych last year and I just love it anyway. Actually, I'm thinking of changing my major to that instead of Bio."_

_"Really?"_

_"Yeah. How else can I hope to understand all my crazy friends?" she said, poking him playfully, earning another smile from him._

_"I still don't know if I can find time for everything."_

_"Well, you said basketball practice sometimes runs late and of course there are your games. I'm sure you have to maintain a certain GPA to stay on the team, right?"_

_"Yeah, but it's less than the GPA I'd like to maintain for myself. I'm not used to not having a good one."_

_"I know, Troy...and that's a wonderful quality you have. Don't change that."_

_"I'm trying."_

_"So, maybe your coach would understand though that you need to maintain the GPA for other reasons, like your scholarship, right?"_

_"Oh, shit, that's true. Aren't you supposed to be making me feel better?"_

_"No, Troy, think about it. If you lose that, the team loses you. It behooves the Coach to support you in your academic studies so that he can keep one of his star players on the team."_

_"I guess."_

_"It does, Troy. I'd bring that up to him if you need to leave a practice early or use part of a practice to catch up on reading or whatever. And, I'd talk to your college advisor here if that doesn't work and see if he has any suggestions."_

_"I could..."_

_"And, Troy, I know the guys love you and want to hang, but you need to say no sometimes if you have schoolwork to do. Not always. It's important to have fun, but time it better, like when you don't have a test the next day or whatever."_

_"Yes, mom," Troy deadpanned, earning him a frown. "Okay, okay, just kidding...you're right...I need to say no sometimes."_

_"So, can we try all this and go from there? Please, Troy. I don't want to see you throw away so much, and I know you say it could just be a break but I have cousins who've been on a break for ten years, Troy. It may be harder to come back than it is to push through it now."_

_Troy considered this. Looking at the determined look on Gabriella's face, he couldn't help but smile again. How was he this lucky to have someone care about him and his future this much? "Okay. I'll try."_

_"No, Troy. We'll try this. I'm going to help. I promise."_

_Troy's smile widened. _

_"And, Troy, you love basketball. Don't forget that. When you shot those baskets...near, far, eyes closed, over your shoulder, it was easy for you because you're good...beyond good...but also because it runs through your veins, basketball...when you closed your eyes especially, you looked so comfortable, so content holding and shooting that ball. You always have. Remember that feeling, Troy. That's what started it all. That's all that matters."_

_Troy knew she was right. He did love the game. The fear of not living up to his own expectations in everything was what was getting to him these days. But he wasn't a quitter. He'd never been a quitter. And, apparently, his best friend was certainly not going to let him become one now._

_"Ella...thank you," Troy said softly._

_Knowing she'd gotten through to him, a smile lit up Gabriella's face. "Anytime, Troy...literally." She broke into a giggle after that last part and Troy chuckled as well._

_Yawning, Troy stood up, grabbing the basketball in one hand and reaching for Gabriella's hand to pull her up with the other. "Come on. We both need sleep, and then we can set about fixing my life," Troy joked._

_Gabriella nodded, accepting his hand and letting him lead her back to the dorm, not minding that he didn't let go of her hand until they'd gotten back to his dorm room. They had just crashed back in his room. He took Chad's bunk and let Gabriella have his. After a few hours of sleep, they had woken up and spent the rest of the weekend getting Troy on track, which had paid off, as he'd managed to do fine that semester and every semester thereafter._

* * *

Thinking back, Troy just knew there was no one else that just got him the way that Gabriella did, no one else who knew exactly what he needed, who saw the best in him even when he was at his worst, who challenged him to be the type of man they both expected him to be...no one else. And, there was also no one else Troy longed to hold, to kiss, and to wake up next to the way he did with Gabriella. Troy knew what he wanted. He knew what he needed. Now, he could only hope that she felt it too. He had to try to convince her if she didn't. They belonged together. Done with waiting, Troy sped up his pace, now in a hurry to get back to his car and back to the cabin...back to the woman he loved.

* * *

AUTHOR'S NOTE: :-) I don't accept tips but I do accept reviews. Heh! Heh! Anyone else think they'd be willing to drive for hours and show up at Troy's door? ;-) Sigh...I don't want it to end...maybe Troy should stop at the Sports Authority to get some new athletic shorts and then the mechanic's to get the oil changed on his car...and then the store to buy more steaks...yeah, that could be a fascinating next chapter, huh? LOL! Okay, don't throw things at me...I'm just kidding. :-p


	16. Right Here, Right Now

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* * *

**

Looking Back to Move Forward

SUMMARY: Troy and Gabriella have been friends for 11 years, best friends. They've even been more, but circumstances years ago led them to end their romance and revert back to just being friends. But will one special weekend of reminiscing about their lives and the memories they've shared remind them of the one thing that they're both missing? **M** for adult situations/subject matter and sexual references/depictions.

DISCLAIMER: I do not own these wonderful characters...I just love them like the rest of you. :-) In fact, I do not own anything HSM, including new HSM 3 song titles. ;-)

**AUTHOR'S NOTE:** Awww... That is all...read on and review please! :-)

* * *

Chapter 16 – Right Here, Right Now

Gabriella stood in her kitchen, wringing her hands. Now that she knew what she wanted, she couldn't wait for Troy to get back. She didn't know what to do with herself in the meantime. She surveyed the kitchen for dinner possibilities for that night. She grabbed her book, then swiftly put it back down, realizing there was no way she was going to get through even one page of it. She walked into the living room and fingered the scrapbook she'd left lying on the sofa. Sitting down, she started looking through it from the beginning again, smiling over and over at the great memories once more and at how thoughtful Troy had been to put together the scrapbook for her in the first place. It was a perfect gift...perfect because it was from him...perfect because it was exactly the kind of thing she loved...perfect because Troy knew her so well he knew that. She sat there grinning from ear to ear when she heard Troy's car pull up outside and heard the engine die and his car door slam. Her heart was beating rapidly. She sat entirely still, listening to the sound of his footsteps on the porch stairs, followed by the opening of the screen door...

Troy had made great time driving back to the cabin. He had in fact thought he might get a ticket, but had been lucky enough not to encounter any police cars. As he pulled into the drive and parked, he noted that her car was still in its spot. 'At least I haven't sent her running,' he thought, taking a deep breath before turning the car off, getting out, and shutting the door. This was it. His palms felt sweaty. His heart was racing. He tried to calm his breathing for another moment before jogging up the porch steps, opening the screen door, and turning the knob on the main door...

Gabriella's head turned to look at the front door, just as Troy's body appeared within its frame. They both stopped breathing for a moment, looking at each other, trying to read each other. Then, Troy turned and shut the door and Gabriella looked down to her lap and shut the scrapbook that was lying on it. Troy moved toward her as she slid the scrapbook back onto the coffee table. He lowered himself onto the couch next to her as she turned to face him fully.

"Troy, I..."

"Ella..."

Both starting to speak at the same time, they stopped, laughing nervously at themselves. Using Gabriella's signature move, Troy placed one finger softly against her lips, urging her to let him speak first. Looking into his sincere eyes, she nodded slightly. Troy smiled at this, removed his finger, and began again.

"Ella...I don't want you to be afraid of us...you're right...we are adults now, which I think is good. We've grown and we've had various experiences and we've shared many of them and some we haven't shared, but our relationship has never faltered. We've always been friends, first and foremost, so you have to know that that won't change...you won't lose me. But, I also think what we have goes beyond friendship. I think it always has, whether we've decided it shouldn't or not. I know it was scary when things got so intense so early on, but we were kids then. We're not anymore. We do know what it's like to live our own lives. And, we've never held each other back; we've only helped each other to be our very best. We have only ever been good for each other, the way I see it. So, I guess, what I'm trying to say...very badly no doubt...is that there's no reason we shouldn't be together. It's what I want...I think what I've always wanted...I hope it's what you want too…please, Ella, give us a chance again."

Troy's eyes bore into hers, emotion making the blue as vivid as ever. Gabriella's own eyes felt a bit watery.

"Troy...I'm sorry I was too scared earlier and didn't know what to say. No, that's not true...I probably knew what I wanted to say, because I knew what I wanted...somewhere within, I knew…I was just fighting it. But…I don't want to fight it anymore."

Troy's heart leapt at this.

"What you were just saying…I know it's true, Troy…that what I cherish so much…you as my best friend…I don't have to lose…and that we are good for each other. I know that we were wonderful together before…" Gabriella stopped at this, feeling flustered by her strong emotions and trying to re-focus. "Well, nevermind before…I mean, before was indeed wonderful, but I want to focus on now."

Gabriella paused again to take another breath, looking back at Troy's hopeful face, his lips curving up slightly in an encouraging and anxious smile, his eyes widening a bit, his brows slightly raised. Letting her love for him wash over her again in that moment, she calmed down and swiftly threw away the rest of the jumbled speech she had been trying to piece together in her mind while she waited for him to get back to the cabin. He didn't need a full-on speech. He only needed to hear one thing. Gabriella's lips curved up into a heartfelt smile.

"I want to be with you, Troy. I want to try...so, yes...yes, let's give us a chance again," she finished, pure joy and excitement in her voice.

Troy's arms shot out and pulled Gabriella to him in a fierce hug. Gabriella gripped him just as tightly, neither wanting to let go, both elated to have had their desire returned. Pulling away, Troy's eyes met with hers, love shining in both pairs before their lips crashed together in a passionate kiss. They kissed…and kissed…and kissed some more, before finally pulling away, their foreheads still touching, gasping a bit for air. Troy brought his hand up to caress her face. Gabriella savored the gesture.

"I love you...so much, Ella," Troy breathed out, pulling her lips into a soft, sweet kiss.

"I love you too, Troy...more than anything...more than anyone," Gabriella replied, before joining her lips to his once again.

* * *

Three hours later…in a certain cabin bedroom…

Troy's lips curved into a smile as he felt Gabriella's lips begin to move down his chest, pausing in their travels so that she could teasingly flick her tongue over one of his nipples. His eyes still closed, he also felt her fingers begin to trail down his taut abs.

"Are you trying to kill me, Montez?" he asked in a husky voice.

Gabriella paused at this, raising her head and meeting his eyes, which he was now opening in a lazy manner. He saw the sparkle in those dark pools as she opened her mouth to reply. "Hmmm…that wasn't my plan, but, as it turns out, I do have a very handy lake out back…very easy to dispose of your body." Troy grinned. "Of course, I am rather fond of this body, so I don't know if I'd be able to say goodbye to it," she finished with a smirk, raking her eyes up and down said body brazenly.

Troy chuckled. "Yeah, well, it's pretty fond of you too," he returned, pulling her on top of him to prove his point.

Moving her legs to straddle him, Gabriella leaned down so that her face was only inches from his. "Never had a doubt," she whispered before capturing his lips with her own.

Their kiss swiftly grew passionate, tongues battling, hands roaming everywhere. Gabriella wriggled her hips, causing Troy to groan into their kiss, his hands moving to still them and to squeeze her buttocks. Gabriella smiled into the kiss, feeling his burgeoning arousal. Placing her hands on Troy's chest, she released his lips from hers, pushed herself up, and then lowered herself onto his rigid member. Troy groaned even louder as she sunk onto him, engulfing him in her warmth. Gabriella moaned as he filled her, keeping her eyes open, watching his eyes widen and then close as the pleasurable sensations shot through them both. He opened his eyes again to meet hers as she began to move up his length, nearly releasing him before slipping back down again. As she continued this motion, varying her speed and angle to meet her own whim, Troy let himself enjoy the show. His hands trailed all over her body, massaging her breasts, running over her backside, gripping her thighs…Gabriella threw her head back with pleasure, lips parted, short pants and moans escaping her mouth as Troy moved one thumb to cover her most sensitive little bundle of nerves. His thumb created a light pressure as he rubbed it in circles, bringing her to even higher heights of pleasure before sending her over the edge. As the waves passed through her, Gabriella's body became limp and she eventually collapsed back down on top of Troy's chest, her breathing ragged, her skin moist from her perspiration.

Troy just held her for several moments, as her body calmed down, placing lingering kisses on her forehead and running his hands up and down her back and through her hair. Regaining her breath, Gabriella lifted her head once more and connected her lips with Troy's. Still very cognizant of Troy's continued arousal, she squeezed her muscles around him, feeling him tense and hearing the breath catch in his throat as she did so. As she pulled away from the kiss, she grinned mischievously at him, licking her lips as she ground her pelvis into his. Troy grunted at the motion and she tilted her head and shot one eyebrow up challengingly. Taking a ragged breath, Troy accepted the challenge and wasted no time in flipping Gabriella over onto her back.

Gabriella let her arms snake up around Troy's back, her hands gripping at the firm skin there as Troy took her straight back to ecstasy, taking himself along with her this time.

As they lay still afterwards, enjoying the afterglow for the third time that evening, Gabriella half lying across Troy's chest, Troy periodically running his fingers lovingly through her hair, Troy decided to risk breaking the mood a bit.

"Ella…"

"Hmmm…"

"While I'm greatly enjoying making up for lost time with you…" Troy paused.

Gabriella felt her gut clutch… 'What did she do? Was Troy rethinking things?'

Grinning, Troy continued. "…you do plan to feed me at some point so I can keep my energy up, right?"

Gabriella's head shot up and she lightly smacked him on the chest before her mouth split into a big smile and she burst into a fit of giggles. Troy beamed, watching her. 'Eh…food can wait a while longer,' he thought, his hands reaching up and adding to her giggles as he began to run his fingers along her very ticklish sides.

* * *

**AUTHOR'S NOTE:** Again I say, awww! ;-) Okay all, hope that didn't disappoint. I know it's short but as you have pointed out, it was inevitable...wasn't going to belabor it. But, so you know, this is not the end. I mean, it could end nicely here but I did have other thoughts for how I wanted to end it. Plus, you guys have given me some lovely ideas along the way so I will be incorporating them in the coming chapters. Basically, the following chapters are pure fluffy, M-y, lovey indulgence. Can't help myself. But, there still won't be many. Just wanted to give that heads up though.

In other news...do check out the new vid of Zac getting soaked and "destroyed" by his fellow cast & crew on the HSM 3 set...it's just too hilarious for words. Quite the pick-me-up. Simply fantastic! LOL! Hope everyone's having a lovely weekend!


	17. Moving Forward

**Looking Back to Move Forward  
**

SUMMARY: Troy and Gabriella have been friends for 11 years, best friends. They've even been more, but circumstances years ago led them to end their romance and revert back to just being friends. But will one special weekend of reminiscing about their lives and the memories they've shared remind them of the one thing that they're both missing? **M** for adult situations/subject matter and sexual references/depictions.

DISCLAIMER: I do not own these wonderful characters...I just love them like the rest of you. :-) I also do not own any fairytales, including The Princess and the Pea. ;-)

**AUTHOR'S NOTE:** Well, now, we'll just have to assume Gabriella was kind enough to feed Troy between the last chapter and this one. LOL! I'm glad you all seem pretty on board for more fluffy goodness. And, in addition to Troyella fluffy goodness...this chapter has marshmallow fluffy goodness...what the heck am I talking about? You'll see. I think I shall go have some of Gabriella's "delicacy" now myself and watch my Troy make faces at me...mmmm...that sounds like a good plan. :-D Read on and enjoy!

* * *

**  
Previously:**

__

Approaching the door, he reached out and rapped his knuckles on it lightly, causing the door to swing further open, revealing a not decently covered Gabriella standing in the shower still lathering her body up with her shower gel. Troy stood there, mouth agape, eyes widening, taking in her silky, wet appearance…Gabriella gasped and this broke Troy's spell.

"Wha-wha-what are you doing in here?" Gabriella sputtered, feeling the heat creep up her entire exposed body.

Troy felt a similar heat creep up his body, particularly up his neck and into his cheeks. "I, uh, I'm sorry, Ella. It's just you had the door partly open and I figured that meant you were decent and I had to ask, um, your neighbor's here to pick up the crock pot you promised...I searched in the kitchen but I haven't been able to find it. Wh-where is it?"

&

Gabriella wiped a tear that had fallen down her cheek, not one of sadness, just one of relief and of decision. "Yeah, Shar," she breathed out. "Yeah, I am...thank you...thank you for everything."

"Anytime, Gabs. Now, go get Bolton...but I want details later, okay?"

Gabriella let a small laugh escape her mouth. "Okay, Shar. Bye."

&

"I want to be with you, Troy. I want to try...so, yes...yes, let's give us a chance again," she finished, pure joy and excitement in her voice.

**Chapter 17 – Moving Forward**

**16 hrs later…post "I want to be with you, Troy" (a.k.a. Monday morning)...**

Gabriella roused to the sound of a phone ringing in the other room. Lifting her head, she looked down at the peacefully sleeping form of her boyfriend.

'Boyfriend,' she mused, 'that's going to take some time to get used to.'

She paused a few moments to stare down at him lovingly before carefully peeling her body from his and from the bed, slipping on one of his shirts, carelessly discarded on the rocking chair the day before, and tiptoeing out of the room. In the kitchen, she grabbed her cell phone off the island and hit the voicemail button, cracking a smile when she heard who the message was from.

"Gabriella Montez…I called your office…they said you called in sick. You're not sick, Missy. Are you? No, I don't think so. Stop fooling around with Bolton and call me…you promised me details and I need to know…now…call…I mean it, Gabs."

Gabriella quickly sent a text to Sharpay, reading "Can't stop, Shar. ;-) Will call you later with deets…promise!"

Then, she put the phone back down on the island and went about gathering the supplies she thought she needed for the day. She had indeed called in sick, not yet willing to let the real world enter her current bubble of happiness and selfishly wanting another day just spent with Troy. Finishing up her preparations, she went to the bathroom, brushed her teeth, and turned on the water in the shower. It usually took a few moments for the hot water to make its way through the old pipes in the morning. Having a mischievous thought, she headed back to the bedroom, crawling over Troy's body and starting to plant kisses all over his face until a big grin appeared on it and he slowly opened his eyes…vivid blue meeting with liquid brown once more.

"Morning," she said huskily.

"Morning, yourself," Troy said…the thought that they had begun the day before very similarly crossing his mind, leading him to other thoughts about how he now wanted to start every morning in just this way.

"You stink."

"Excuse me," Troy said, cocking an amused brow.

"Yep…you do…so do I…I think we need a shower," Gabriella said, eyes sparkling. Next thing Troy knew, she had hopped back off the bed and headed out the door.

Chuckling, Troy pulled himself from the bed and headed after her. Seeing his girlfriend…'ah, he loved the sound of that'…once again standing in the shower with the water running down her beautiful, toned form, this time watching him enter the room with an inviting smile spread across her face, Troy paused, leaning up against the doorframe, and just taking her in.

"You gonna stand there or are you gonna join me this time?" she asked seductively.

Troy didn't need a second invitation. Smirking, he crossed the tiny distance and opened the shower door, stepping in to join her. He now felt the hot water streaming down his back, as he stared down at her. Next he watched as she moved closer to him, pressing her wet breasts against his chest, her head moving closer to his…and then looking around it as she reached an arm out to grab the shampoo from the ledge behind him. Pulling back and squeezing some into her hand, she looked back at him, faking innocence.

"What? I really meant for us to shower."

"Uh huh…" Troy said, unconvinced, as he watched her place the bottle back on the shelf and bring her hands up, before he felt her run her fingers through his hair, massaging shampoo into it, all the while smiling up at him.

Enjoying the sweetness of the moment and putting his lust on the backburner for a few moments, Troy leaned down and captured Gabriella's lips in a soft, loving kiss. Pulling away, he reached behind him and grabbed the shampoo, squeezing some into his own hands. He then gently began to run his fingers through her long locks, lathering them up well, before pulling her back into another sweet kiss. Gabriella then pushed him back so that his hair was under the stream of the water. He shut his eyes as she helped rinse the suds from his hair and then he switched places with her and did the same for her.

Gabriella was greatly enjoying the intimacy of the current situation. She next reached up onto the ledge again and grabbed her shower gel, squeezing some out onto her hand before running her hands up his broad chest and over his strong shoulders, lathering up his arms, back, and abs before moving lower to his legs, over his ass and finally around to his now stiffened member. Somehow, at this moment, Troy didn't really care if he was going to smell like Island Orchid or whatever other feminine scent Gabriella wished to rub into his body, so long as she didn't stop the rubbing.

Seeing the smirk on her face, Troy decided that two could certainly partake in this blissful teasing. He squeezed some of the shower gel into his own hands and began to drag his fingers leisurely over all of her wet curves, moving them in massaging circles in various spots…her back…around her nipples, her stomach, her inner thighs. The heat building at her core was distracting Gabriella, making it difficult for her to continue her own teasing, wanting only for Troy's fingers to work their way inside of her.

Giving in to her desire for him, she swiftly snaked one arm up around his neck and pulled him to her in a hungry kiss. Troy responded every bit as ravenously, pulling her closer to him, his tongue battling her own with fervor. Abandoning all thoughts of teasing, Troy slid his fingers back down Gabriella's abs and moved them directly into her folds. Gabriella moaned loudly into their kiss as he sunk two of them into her slick opening, beginning to pump them in and out of her as his other hand splayed across her lower back, steadying her. She eventually broke the kiss, dropping her head down onto Troy's shoulder, unable to focus on anything but the explosive pleasure radiating out from between her thighs.

Troy held her till her body stilled itself. Then, he felt himself being lost to sensations of his own as he felt Gabriella's hand resume its purposeful stroking. She kissed his lips before trailing her own down his wet body. As she lowered her body, Troy felt the stream of water that had been hitting her back, now hitting his chest. His eyes watched Gabriella follow its path down his body. It rinsed away any residual suds and then Gabriella ran her tongue over each newly cleaned area, tasting water and skin.

Troy waited with anticipation until she tasted the taut skin currently stretched over his erection, her hot mouth searing him as it engulfed him. He found it completely erotic watching the water run down them both, feeling its wetness on him alternating with the wetness of her mouth. He knew he was close. He went to pull Gabriella back up but she resisted, removing his hands from her arms and linking her own with his and squeezing, continuing the steady movements of her mouth up and down his length. He groaned when she let go of his left hand so that she could move her right to grasp his shaft, her hand and her mouth now working together to increase his sensations. He buried his left hand in her hair, incapable of doing anything other than riding out the pleasure. Then, in probably less than a minute, he felt his body begin to convulse and his head dropped back as he felt his release. Gabriella swallowed the hot liquid, pleased with herself and her ability to bring her love so much pleasure. She didn't move her mouth from him right away, allowing his body to begin its recovery before slowly pulling back, placing a sweet kiss on the tip of his gradually softening member.

Troy's breath was still coming fast and uneven. He opened his eyes and looked down to see Gabriella placing that sweet kiss on him. He looked at her with awe before gently pulling at her arms once more. This time, she allowed him to pull her up and hold her body against his. Gazing into her eyes, he leaned in and kissed her. Pulling back, both of their faces broke into big smiles.

"God, I love you. I really, really love you. You know this, right?" Troy said, eyes holding hers.

Gabriella giggled. "Yes, Troy. I know. Feeling's mutual…in case you couldn't tell."

Troy smirked at this. "But, babe…you know I'm not 16 anymore, right? I can't have my way with you here now…well, unless you want to really run up the water bill so that I have time to recover."

Gabriella just shook her head at this. "I'm glad you're not 16. If you were, I could be arrested," she joked, earning an eye roll from Troy. "And, I'm not too concerned…I kind of suspect we'll feel the need to shower, oh, at least once a day…and this wasn't a one time invitation…you can join me anytime."

A mischievous smile lit up Troy's face. "Even if your neighbor's out on the deck waiting on a promised crock pot?"

Gabriella tapped her chin with her finger, feigning thoughtfulness. "Well, no…now that would be rude, Troy, wouldn't it?" she said teasingly.

Troy chuckled before moving in to capture his girlfriend's lips in a lingering kiss…running the water bill up just a little bit more.

* * *

**Later that day…**

Troy and Gabriella had left the shower and gotten dressed. Gabriella had packed up the car and informed Troy they were going out, but didn't say where. Troy got into the car, curiosity peaked, but didn't question their whereabouts. His face lit up with a grin when she turned into the entrance at their park. After she had parked, they both got out of the car and Gabriella retrieved the picnic basket she had prepared from her trunk, along with a blanket. She linked her free hand with Troy's and started walking toward a nice shaded spot beneath a tree and by the water.

"You know, I was just here yesterday," Troy said matter-of-factly.

"Oh, yeah? I guess I never did ask where you went," Gabriella replied, looking over at him with a small smile, before placing the basket and blanket down at the spot she'd chosen.

"Well, you were too busy wanting to jump me to care about where I'd been," Troy teased.

Gabriella mock gasped at this. "Cocky, much?"

Troy smirked. "Like you can deny it."

Gabriella reached over to smack him playfully, even as she knew how very right he was. "Well, anyway, do you _mind_ being here again?" she teased back.

"Nah. You're here this time, so I don't look like some random pedophile roaming the park."

This made Gabriella burst out laughing, the image of Troy lurking around and mothers scurrying off with their children while sending scowls his way filling her mind. When she recovered, she responded. "Well, that is a perk, huh? Plus, besides me, you get my specialty sandwich." This was said as she reached down and started spreading out the blanket so that they could sit down.

Troy thought about this statement for a moment before sitting down across from Gabriella. "Oh, no…"

"What do you mean 'oh no'…you love it," Gabriella shot back, as she began to busy herself with opening the basket to remove its contents.

"If you use the word 'love' loosely," Troy responded, scrunching up his nose.

"Whatever, Troy. My peanut butter and marshmallow sandwiches are the best…they're like…a delicacy or something."

"They're so…sugary sweet…and weird," Troy said, pausing before adding "just like you."

Gabriella narrowed her eyes at him, seeing the pleased with himself look on his face. Having just unwrapped one of her signature sandwiches, she got a menacing look on her face just before launching herself at him and knocking him backwards, holding the sandwich above his mouth. "Eat it, Troy…you know you want to."

"You do realize how bad that order sounds, don't you?" Troy said, chuckling and holding Gabriella's forearm back so she couldn't shove the sandwich into his mouth.

"Ohhhh…you are just…" Gabriella groaned before seemingly giving up the struggle and easing backwards onto her knees and then sitting on her feet.

As soon as Troy released her arm though and sat up, figuring she had given in, and began to ask teasingly "What am I?", she pushed the sandwich square into his mouth, catching him by surprise. This was followed by a melodic laugh coming from her own mouth, as she was quite pleased with her own tactics at that moment.

Troy's eyes widened, his mouth suddenly filled with peanut butter, marshmallow cream and bread, before narrowing, as he saw the victory on his girlfriend's face. Having no real choice at this point, Troy bit off the portion of sandwich that was currently already in his mouth, pulling the remainder away with his hand. Watching her now try to control her laughter, as he suspected she felt just a slight bit of sympathy for him at that moment, he chewed the sticky substances as best he could before swallowing and licking his lips. She was right. The combination was delicious, but he'd never admit it to her…it was too much fun to argue the point.

They sat there grinning stupidly at each other for a few seconds, before Gabriella's face became more serious.

"Is this us being best friends or us being boyfriend and girlfriend?" she asked thoughtfully.

Troy pondered the question. "I think it's just us…being us."

"Mmmm…true," she said with a smile. "So, how does the sandwich taste? Yummy, right?" she prompted hopefully.

Troy rolled his eyes at her. "It's peanut butter and marshmallow," he replied in a dry tone.

"Right," Gabriella responded chirpily, turning her attention back to the rest of the basket's contents as Troy looked at her with humor and took another bite of the sandwich still in his hand. Gabriella just smirked, noticing this out of the corner of her eye.

"So, your boss won't mind too much that you called in, will she?" Troy asked.

"Nah. I'm long overdue for a day off. And, you know…this could have me returning to work in much better spirits, so…there shouldn't be any complaints," she said, a smile teasing the corners of her mouth.

"Oh, and why's that, Ella?" Troy played along.

"Oh, I don't know…just that me and my BBF…"

"BBF?" Troy interrupted.

"Huh? Oh…best boyfriend," Gabriella continued with mirth, watching Troy shake his head at her in amusement. "Yes, me and my BBF have just spent a lovely, fun, refreshing, relaxing, happy weekend together and life is even happier now than it was when I left work on Friday."

"Hmmm…I'd agree with all but the relaxing part…" Troy teased with a wink in her direction, before finishing off his sandwich.

"What? Am I tiring you out, Bolton? Do I need to find a younger, more energetic replacement for you already?"

"Don't even think about it," Troy responded in a husky voice, reaching for her waist and pulling her onto his lap before leaning in and capturing her lips in a steamy kiss.

Pulling back, he looked into her passion-filled eyes and added mischievously, "Now, that was us being _very_ good friends."

Gabriella bit her bottom lip a bit. "Mmmmhmmm."

Troy laid her back then, so she was half on the blanket, half on the grass…not that she minded. Perched above her, he spoke again. "And this…this is us being boyfriend and girlfriend," he said before leaning down, his body resting against hers, and kissing her again, deepening the kiss after several seconds. They continued to lie there and kiss for quite a few minutes before slowly letting their lips separate and just gazing back at each other for several lingering moments.

"Mmmmm…I like us being boyfriend and girlfriend," Gabriella said breathily as Troy continued to beam down at her.

"Yeah, me too," Troy responded, leaning back down and placing a soft kiss on her forehead and then her nose and then her lips. "Guess we should probably get back to the business of picnicking though…don't want you to miss out on your _delicacy_, as you put it."

"Probably should…lest you go from suspected pedophile to being cited for indecent exposure," Gabriella teased back, tugging playfully at Troy's belt.

"You're evil, Montez…you know that, right?" Troy said, pulling them both back up into a seated position.

"L'il ole me?" she responded, putting her hand to her chest and raising her eyebrows in mock innocence. "Never," she continued, relaxing her face and sending a sly wink in his direction before turning away, grabbing her sandwich, and making a dramatic production of enjoying it.

Watching her antics, sitting there next to her in one of their favorite places, a place that had seen them in all of the incarnations of their relationship…a beautiful place…his beautiful girl…Troy didn't think he could be any happier.

* * *

**That night…**

Troy heard Gabriella's footsteps as she walked down the hall from her bedroom and he turned his head in time to see her enter the living room and walk over and plop down on the couch next to him. She turned her body such that she could lie back with her head in his lap, her knees bent, feet resting on the arm of the couch.

"Hey," she said softly, smiling up at him.

"Hey," he returned, smiling back down at her. "So, is Sharpay appeased? She's not gonna wanna critique my technique or anything next time I see her, is she?" Troy asked, cringing at the thought.

Gabriella laughed. "Yes, she's appeased and has promised not to tell the rest of the gang so we get to have the honors. She's very happy for us, and as to your technique, whatever would she have to critique?" she finished sweetly.

Troy chuckled. "Hmmm…ego inflation…a well-calculated choice on your part, Ella…you know, in your efforts to have your way with me."

Gabriella faked a yawn. "Oh, I don't know. I'm very sleepy."

"I'm sure."

"Oh, I am…you should probably put me to bed soon…if you can tear yourself away from…what are you watching anyway?"

"Mythbusters."

"Guys blowing stuff up."

"It's way more than that…it's very scientific," Troy defended.

"Uh huh…well, anyhoo, when you've had your fill of guys blowing stuff up…" Troy rolled his eyes at her mocking. "…you should see to putting me to bed…I do have work tomorrow after all." As he watched her, she batted her eyelashes at him and formed her lips into a pitiful pout.

Troy laughed at her attempts to convince him and turned his attention back to the tv just to annoy her.

Knowing full well what Troy was doing, Gabriella turned her head to watch the men on the television getting their dummy readied for their latest explosive attempt before turning her head back around to face his stomach as she moved her fingers to begin inching his shirt up with them purposefully.

Troy sucked in a breath, suspecting she could pretty much always win this type of battle. He looked down at her, noting the challenging look on her face and smiling at her cuteness. Then, a more serious question entered his mind.

"Ella…"

"Yes, Troy."

"Well…yes, I can certainly put you to bed…" Gabriella licked her lips enticingly at this, causing him to stop for a moment to regain his train of thought. "Ahem, as I was saying, I can but…well…am I staying the night again?"

Gabriella's eyes flickered over his at this. She hadn't really thought about that, but he was right. He didn't live there. He had only actually planned on staying at the cabin for the weekend while the tenants he'd been renting his apartment to while he was traveling with the World Team cleared out for his return. He had stayed with his parents for a few nights following his return to the states and prior to meeting Gabriella out at the cabin Friday evening before driving them to the restaurant to meet up with the gang. So, the plan had been for him to head off to his apartment Sunday night, but he was obviously not going anywhere last night following their heated reunion. But what of tonight and tomorrow night and the next night? She didn't really know but, selfishly, she didn't really want to see him go off to his own place.

"I guess…I don't know…I suppose I've been getting a little spoiled these last few days, having you here all to myself…and then with yesterday…well, I don't know. Do you want to stay or are you anxious to get settled back in your apartment again?"

"I'm not anxious in any way to leave you," Troy responded, earning him a very sweet smile. "I just…I don't know what's expected now, either."

"I guess it's something we'll have to figure out. It's kind of new to both of us, this new arrangement."

"Arrangement? You make us sound like flowers, Ella."

"Sorry. You realize Chad would be very disappointed in you for even thinking of that," she teased, earning her a frown. "But, yeah, you know what I mean. Us as friends would have said goodbye and sent you back to your apartment. This us…well, it's new again."

"I know what you mean. It's a lot to consider."

"But…can we just take it day by day and figure it out as we go?"

"Okay."

"And, for today…tonight, rather…stay, Troy. I want you to stay."

Troy's smile could have lit up the whole room. "Well, since you have made such a convincing argument, I suppose I will have to," he teased, leaning down and kissing her lightly.

"Well, if you think that was convincing, wait until you see the arguments I use tomorrow and Wednesday," she replied, a delightful promise in her eyes and in her tone.

"I never was particularly good at speech and debate like you were," Troy joked. "I suspect I won't really stand a chance."

"No…you won't," Gabriella whispered, pulling him down to her so that she could initiate a long, probing kiss.

Dragging his lips away from hers, Troy saw the slight disappointment on Gabriella's face and smirked before lifting her head from his lap, standing up abruptly, and confidently lifting her up and slinging her over his shoulder, surprising her with the swiftness of his actions.

"Troy, what are you doing?" she squealed, as he hit the off button on the tv remote with his free hand, turned, and started moving toward the hall.

"What does it look like, Ella? I'm putting you to bed," Troy replied, giving her a playful smack on the bottom.

"Hey!" Gabriella exclaimed, returning the favor, as her hands had easy access to Troy's nice backside as well.

"Now, now…be nice, Ella, or you won't get a bedtime story," Troy teased, approaching her bedroom door.

Gabriella laughed. "Oh? And what story will you be telling? The Princess and the Pea?"

"Whatever you like," Troy replied, pushing the door open and approaching the bed.

"And in your version of the story, does the princess find the pea in her bed?"

Troy took a moment to swing her back over his shoulder and playfully drop her on the bed, before smirking down at her.

"No…but she and the prince have a fabulous time trying to find it," he said huskily, climbing onto the bed and silencing her resulting giggles with his lips.

* * *

**  
AUTHOR'S NOTE:** Okay, first of all, if you have any thoughts about Gabriella not having used conditioner in the shower, you were so not focused on the right thing during that scene! And, second, no, I do not condone wasting shower water on a regular basis. LOL! ;-) Yes, I am a bit silly, as you may have noticed. Heh! Heh! Well, hope you enjoyed that...fluff, M, and a bit of down-to-earth discussion regarding their new situation. Coming soon...more from their first week back together...and beyond, including their friends' reactions. ;-) Thanks, all! You are all the music in me...you know that, right? :-D

P.S. If you haven't seen the "Troy is an action figure" video of Zac and Vanessa behind the scenes of HSM 3, go watch it now...it's also quite funny...between that one and the soaked and destroyed one...good times, good times. If you need links, I've added a current fave You Tube vids section to my profile. :-)

* * *


	18. Crock Pot Revisited

**Looking Back to Move Forward  
**

SUMMARY: Troy and Gabriella have been friends for 11 years, best friends. They've even been more, but circumstances years ago led them to end their romance and revert back to just being friends. But will one special weekend of reminiscing about their lives and the memories they've shared remind them of the one thing that they're both missing? **M** for adult situations/subject matter and sexual references/depictions.

DISCLAIMER: I do not own these wonderful characters...I just love them like the rest of you. :-) I also do not own Brideshead Revisited (book or movie) though I did just read/see it and it may have inspired this chapter's title. Finally, I do not own an "It's a Grind" location, though I do very much enjoy stopping there in the mornings for coffee and baked goods. ;-)

**AUTHOR'S NOTE:** So, first, I must say that I promise you that I am not some traveling crock pot saleswoman though it may seem as though I am obsessed with them...it was just honestly the random thing that I thought her neighbor might borrow and well...here we are. LOL! This chapter (particularly the 'after work' portion) is for Dani (Pandora147), who gave me the lovely suggestion for this back when the crock pot first made its appearance. Oh, and if you don't read her stories, particularly Someday, which I am currently addicted to, you are missing out in life. ;-) Okay, I'll shut up now...enjoy this indulgent little chapter!

* * *

Chapter 18 – Crock Pot Revisited

**Tuesday…**

As it turned out, Troy did go back to his apartment Tuesday and ended up sleeping there that night as he had gotten caught up in some interviews he had forgotten he needed to do to discuss his experiences with the team abroad. Then, after the interviews, he had taken care of things like mail sorting and laundry and had even fit in a good evening run and weights routine. Still, as he spent the day in what used to be a fairly normal fashion, his mind kept drifting to the newest development in his life.

Gabriella had missed Troy on Tuesday too, but sensibly kept reminding herself that she'd gone months without seeing him and years without, um, doing more than just seeing him. So, they experimented with Tuesday and spending the day apart. Even though they did talk to each other on the phone that night, it was still, all in all, a _very_ long day.

* * *

**  
Wednesday…  
**

Gabriella smiled as she saw Troy pull into her driveway. It was 7:30am and she was heading out the door toward her car to drive herself to work.

As Troy pulled up next to her car, he rolled the window down and called out to her. "Ella, hop in. I'm taking you to work."

"Oh, really? And, what if I don't want you to?" she teased.

"Well, that's why I brought you these," Troy said, holding up a bag of what she presumed were some kind of baked goods and an It's a Grind coffee cup.

"Oooh…smart man," she said with a laugh, going around to get into the passenger seat.

As soon as she slid in and got her seat belt on, Troy handed her the bag of muffins and the White Chocolate Mocha he'd gotten her. She beamed back at him as he backed out of the driveway and began heading toward the cancer center where she worked.

"I can't believe you're even out of bed," she remarked before taking a sip of her drink.

"That makes two of us," Troy said with a laugh. "Guess you're in luck. I just couldn't wait until later to see your smiling face." As he said this, he pulled to a stop at a red light and was able to take a moment to stare into the smiling face he'd just mentioned. Gabriella used that moment to lean toward him and give him a soft kiss. As they pulled back, they noticed the light had just changed back to green, so Troy got the car moving again.

"About time, woman," Troy teased.

Gabriella laughed. "Sorry…I was distracted by muffins."

"Dang muffins," Troy joked, earning additional laughter from his girlfriend.

"So, Troy, what are you up to today?"

"Besides being your chauffeur? Hmmm…need to run some errands, have a meeting with the coach, might meet Chad and the guys to shoot some hoops during their lunch breaks…oh, hey, give me your car keys."

"What? Troy, seriously, I know you have your eye on all these great new cars that are coming out, but I love my baby. I don't want to replace her. She's been good to me. And just because you have the money to spend buying any of us new cars does not mean you should."

Troy laughed at her response, understanding it, as he had offered this a time or two in the past. "Ella, calm down. I don't plan to replace your baby. I was just thinking I might take her to the car wash. She's looking a little dirty."

"Oh, okay. If you like." Gabriella dug into her purse and handed Troy her keychain. He took it, pulling into the center's parking lot and stopping in front of the entrance.

"You don't need any of these other keys at work or anything, do you?" Troy asked, noting that she had just given him her whole keychain full of keys.

"Nah. This one's the car and this one's for the cabin…oh, and, if you want to make copies of either, feel free," she added, as an afterthought.

Troy grinned. "Are you…?"

Gabriella cut in, answering his question before he could finish asking it. "I'm just saying that if you're going to feel the need to keep my car nice and shiny and to spend lots of time with me at the cabin, then, well, I just don't mind you having your own keys. Makes things easier."

"Yes, it does," Troy agreed, smiling at the slight blush that had crept onto Gabriella's face.

"Well, I should probably get inside," she said, unbuckling her seatbelt.

"Okay. Ella…"

"Hmm."

"I do plan to spend _lots_ of time with you," Troy said with a flirty smile and a wink, before leaning over and pulling Gabriella into a lingering kiss she knew she wouldn't be able to forget about all day.

* * *

**  
After work…  
**

Troy had picked her up at work promptly at 5 O'Clock. He had brought her car as he'd just gotten done getting it washed and detailed. He had also handed her back her keychain full of keys, as he'd made copies for himself that day. On the drive back to the cabin, neither of them could keep their hands or lips off of each other. Gabriella had been worked up all day following that kiss and Troy was no better, having been imagining just how he wanted to spend his time with his sexy siren that evening. By the time Troy pulled into the driveway, they knew just how eager they both were.

As the car came to a stop and Troy turned it off, Gabriella was the first one out of the car. She giggled as Troy slammed his car door a second later and chased her up the front porch steps. He placed his hands on her waist and started nibbling playfully on her neck as she fumbled with the lock. She finally succeeded in opening the door in time to have Troy turn her around to face him and capture her lips in a fiery kiss, as he pushed them both into the house, never once disconnecting their lips.

Gabriella's hands restlessly grabbed at his shirt, cursing each button she had to tackle until she was finally able to drag the cotton shirt down over his broad, tan shoulders and muscular back, before tossing it disdainfully onto the couch. Troy's hands had not been idol either. They had been busy unbuttoning her silky blouse, arms half-fighting with Gabriella's, tempted at each one to just rip the damn thing open and only stopped by some tiny but sensible part of his brain that told him Gabriella may kill him later if he ruined a favorite shirt of hers. Having dispensed with her blouse, Troy's hands moved to her thighs, hiking up her skirt as he pushed them into the kitchen toward the table. In their haste, they backed into a chair, knocking it into the table before Troy forcefully pushed it aside.

Gabriella's hands were fumbling with Troy's belt and then with the button and zipper on his pants, her focus being interrupted slightly by the feel of her boyfriend's lips moving eagerly down her neck and onto the swell of her breasts. She began to push his pants and boxers down over his hips, impatiently using her foot to finish the job of pushing them all the way down his legs, while she used her freed up hands to grasp and begin stroking his hard member with purpose, causing Troy to emit a somewhat strangled noise deep in his throat. Troy's one arm supported her back as his other reached out to sweep across the table, pushing aside placemats, the napkin holder, salt 'n pepper shakers, and the like to clear a space. His hands gripping Gabriella's ass, he lifted her up and placed her down on the table. Hands still beneath her skirt, he hooked them under her panties and dragged them down her legs, pulling them off and flinging them somewhere behind him.

...

Barbara Caldwell had just gotten back from dropping her daughter off at her friend's house when she saw her neighbor's car pass her house, approaching its own long driveway. Remembering she still had Gabriella's crock pot in the trunk of her car, as she had been meaning to return it, she turned around and got back into her car, figuring now was as good a time as any.

When she arrived at Gabriella's cabin just minutes later, she noticed the screen door was flapping a bit in the wind and the front door was flung wide open. Ascending the porch steps, she saw that Gabriella's purse was dropped onto the floor of the entryway. Peering in through the screen door a bit more, she thought she saw something lying on the ground further in toward Gabriella's living room, some silk scarf or other light material. She couldn't quite make it out. Just as she was about to knock on the door, she halted abruptly, hearing what sounded like a crash of some sort coming from inside. Wondering at the sound, she listened further, eventually hearing some other rustling sounds and a strangled noise from within.

Unsure of the situation but suddenly worried her poor neighbor was being attacked, Barbara knew she couldn't just stand there and she certainly couldn't leave. Quietly easing the screen door open, she stepped inside the house. Just as quietly and carefully, she placed the crock pot down on the ground and looked around, searching for a weapon. Finding Gabriella's umbrella stand, she stealthily eased a long one from its holder before tiptoeing toward the sounds she was hearing, which seemed to be coming from the kitchen. As she approached, she jumped a bit as she heard some banging and clanging sounds and what sounded to her like muffled grunts. Just as she was about to turn the corner into the kitchen, umbrella raised offensively above her head, ready to strike the unsuspecting attacker, something small flew through the air and attached itself to the top of the raised umbrella. Surprised by the movement at that very moment when her fear was most heightened, Barbara could not suppress a gasp, drawing the attention of Gabriella and…the attacker (?) she didn't look very afraid of…

...

Hearing a loud gasp, Troy and Gabriella's heads shot up and around to find the source of the noise. Seeing her neighbor standing there, Gabriella let out her own gasp and quickly scrambled to yank her skirt back down so she wasn't quite so exposed. Troy, just seeing a strange woman lowering a large umbrella slowly and eyeing his naked backside with her mouth wide open in an "O" shape, felt his own eyes widen and the heat of a different sort run through his body rapidly, right before he reached down and yanked his pants and boxers up to cover his own exposed body.

...

Looking between the two, it all clicked then for Barbara…she had not walked in on an attack or assault at all…well, not an unwanted one in any event. And judging from the hardened male body she had briefly gotten quite an eyeful of, she could see why Gabriella had gotten swept away and had moved things such as locking her door to the bottom of her priority list at that moment in time. She lowered the umbrella. As she did so, she caught sight of what had been flung into it. A sly grin forming on her face, she extended the umbrella toward Gabriella, who looked incredibly embarrassed as she quickly grabbed her lace panties from the end of it. A sense of propriety reaching her, Barbara looked away from the couple, who were trying to compose themselves.

"Gabriella…erm…I'm sorry…to have…interrupted," she said sheepishly.

"Barbara," Gabriella squeaked out in a rather high voice before pausing to compose herself further and continuing in a more controlled tone. "Barbara, what are you doing here?"

"Um, I was just returning your crock pot and the door was wide open and I heard crashing noises and such from inside and I thought…well, I thought you were being attacked. Sorry."

"Stinkin' crock pot," Troy muttered under his breath, before Gabriella elbowed him.

"Uh, that's okay, Barbara. Thanks for returning it and for caring enough to make sure I wasn't being attacked. I guess we did leave things in a bit of a disarray...and were making some noise. Um, well, things are fine though. Uh…Barbara Caldwell, this is Troy Bolton."

Dragging his eyes up off the ground, Troy's cheeks continued with their crimson shade as he nodded slightly and cleared his throat, saying "Nice to meet you."

"Yeah, you too, Troy," Barbara responded, eyes twinkling.

"Troy, you met Rick, Barbara's husband, this past weekend," Gabriella filled in needlessly.

"Yes, I uh, recall," Troy remarked dryly.

"Well, um, anyhoo, I left the crock pot out by the door and I'll just be heading back home now," Barbara chimed in a bit too cheerily, pausing only to send a sly wink of approval in Gabriella's direction before turning and heading back out of the kitchen, through the living room and entryway and out the front door, the screen door slamming shut behind her.

"Thanks, Barbara!" Gabriella called out a bit too late.

Hearing the sound of the neighbor's car starting up and backing out of the driveway, Troy and Gabriella turned to look at one another, shaking their heads a bit at the craziness of the moment that had just occurred. Gabriella let her head drop forward, her forehead pressing into Troy's chest. The look on Barbara's face and the vision of her wielding that umbrella, black lace panties hanging off the end of it, threateningly above Troy took over their minds once more and they couldn't help but start laughing at it. Troy held Gabriella to him as they both shook with their mirth. As their laughter subsided, a thought occurred to Troy.

"We are going to have to buy that woman an extra crock pot of her own," he said, causing Gabriella to giggle some more.

"Yes, Troy…yes, we are," she agreed with much amusement.

* * *

**AUTHOR'S NOTE:** Ah, Barbara's vantage point...okay, naughty thought, Mel...very naughty. LOL! Hope you enjoyed that! And, speaking of enjoying stuff...ha!...there's a new vantage point of the prank on Zac...vid link in my profile if you need it...my favorite part is Vanessa yelling "baby, baby, baby" at about 4 seconds. How cute! By the way, my pb and marshmallow sandwich from last time was very yummy. :-) Alright all, have an awesome day and as always, thanks so much for reading and giving me much encouragement to keep writing!


	19. Another Friday

**Looking Back to Move Forward****  
**

SUMMARY: Troy and Gabriella have been friends for 11 years, best friends. They've even been more, but circumstances years ago led them to end their romance and revert back to just being friends. But will one special weekend of reminiscing about their lives and the memories they've shared remind them of the one thing that they're both missing? **M** for adult situations/subject matter and sexual references/depictions.

DISCLAIMER: I do not own these wonderful characters...I just love them like the rest of you. :-) I also do not own Wii or Guitar Hero...well, the rights to their production and such...I do, in fact have them in my home...and I rock! LOL!

**AUTHOR'S NOTE: **Hello all! Sorry for the delay. Work has been kicking my butt and it was also a very busy holiday weekend. And, I can't believe it's September already! Do you know how many days till HSM3 premieres in your area? I do. Heh! Heh! Well, a bunch of you have indicated along the way that you were looking forward to another friends chapter (as was I), so here you go. :-)

* * *

Chapter 19 – Another Friday

**  
Friday evening…  
**

Gabriella opened the door to see Taylor and Chad standing on the front porch, smiling at her.

"Gabs! Needed some more Chad, huh? It's okay. I understand. It must have been hard for you to spend all week away from me."

Gabriella's lips curled up in amusement at Chad's greeting and her face split into a wider grin as she watched Taylor reach her hand up to smack Chad playfully on the back of the head, shaking her own head at his cockiness.

"I have no idea how I find room in our house for me given the size of this one's head," she remarked in a dry tone, cocking her head in Chad's direction before smiling over at her good friend.

"You two are too adorable. Come on in," Gabriella said, opening the door wider and stepping back so her friends could enter the cabin.

No sooner did she see them in and get them both drinks did she hear another knock at the door. Opening it, she smiled once more seeing Kelsi and Jason standing there waiting patiently.

"Hey guys! So glad you could hang tonight," she said, welcoming them.

"Always happy to hang with you, Gabs. Thanks for having us," said Kelsi sweetly.

"Yep, what she said," Jason chimed in cheerfully.

Gabriella got the two settled in the living room with Taylor and Chad while she went to grab them drinks from the kitchen. Making another kitchen trip, she next returned with some chips, salsa, and queso and promised that the bagel bites and taquitos would be ready soon. They often just munched on snacks all night when they had their get togethers. They all worked hard and it was easier than planning a full sit-down meal.

Sitting around, everyone started wondering when Sharpay and Zeke would be arriving.

"Oh, come on, you know Sharpay…has to make a dramatic late entrance," Kelsi put in.

"True, Kels…I'd be surprised if she didn't show up beeping her horn on the way up the drive to announce her presence," Taylor added jokingly.

The gang all laughed. At that precise moment, they did hear Sharpay outside the cabin loudly reminding _Zekey_ to grab her pashmina for her in case she got cold out on the deck later with the _nippy lake air_. The gang just groaned, feeling slight sympathy for Zeke for a moment. Gabriella moved to open the door before they had a chance to knock. Sharpay barreled on into the cabin, complaining of the awful slow drivers they'd encountered on the way to the cabin, pausing only briefly to give Gabriella air kisses to both her cheeks. Gabriella just grinned, her friend's dramatics always amusing her and also assuring her that all was still the same in the world outside her cabin, despite the changes she'd experienced in the past week.

Zeke followed Sharpay in, holding her pink pashmina in one hand and a few Tupperware containers in the other. Gabriella eyed them questioningly. "Mini cheesecake bites in this one. Macaroons in this one," Zeke informed. "I know that's a mix, but just trying up some new things for the restaurant," he said with a shoulder shrug.

"Hey. No complaints from me. You can bring any mix of goodies to my home any time you want," Gabriella assured him with a smile, taking the containers from him and moving to set them down on the coffee table with the other snacks. Just at that moment, she heard the buzzer on the oven sound and went to collect the bagel bites and put the taquitos in to cook. Just as she was returning to the living room with the newest snacks, she heard that the gang's conversation had turned to Troy.

"Where is Bolton anyway? Haven't really seen him much this week," Jason asked.

"Oh, Gabs said she asked him to pick up some more chips and beer on the way to the cabin," Taylor shared helpfully.

"Yeah, I guess he's been pretty busy this week with trying to get back into the swing of things at home and with interviews from his World Team travels and such." That was Kelsi.

"I know, but I had kind of hoped to get more than one day at the courts with him this week," Chad remarked dolefully.

"Aww…poor baby," Taylor ribbed, earning a glare from her husband.

Gabriella smiled at their banter as she moved to place the plate of bagel bites down on the table.

"No, Chad's right. It was a shame Troy didn't get to join us more this week," Zeke said, coming to Chad's defense.

"Yeah," Jason added, "maybe this coming week he'll have more time."

"Oh geez, listen to you all," Sharpay exclaimed. "Maybe your pseudo-boyfriend had a better offer this week than hanging with the likes of you. Ever think of that?"

Gabriella just stared at her, eyes widening a bit at her outburst, to which Sharpay responded by sending a quick wink her way when the rest of the gang was busy rolling their eyes at each other and wasn't paying attention.

"Whatever, Shar…because you know so much about Troy's daily routine," Chad said, sarcasm dripping from him.

Meanwhile, Troy had arrived at the cabin, coming in through the deck entrance to put the cold beer in the refrigerator and place the extra bags of chips on the counter. No one had heard him enter as they carried on their conversation about him.

"Maybe I know more than you think," Sharpay taunted.

Troy chose that moment to enter the living room, smiling, waving, and giving a general "hey" to his friends before walking up behind Gabriella, snaking his arms around her waist, and resting his head in the crook of her neck. Then, not being able to resist, he began to plant a few soft, lingering kisses there, causing her to look back at him with a smile.

All conversation in the room came to an abrupt halt at that moment, as all but Sharpay stood there eyeing the pair with wide eyes and open mouths. Sharpay stood there eyeing them with a knowing smirk lighting up her face. Sensing the silence, Gabriella and Troy turned their heads back to their friends, giving them sheepish smiles.

"So, um, good week you've had then since your birthday, Gabs?" Taylor asked teasingly, breaking the silence.

Gabriella just smiled and nodded before turning her head to the side to meet Troy's loving gaze again.

"Ha! So that's why you bailed out on shooting hoops with us twice this week, Bolton? Too busy," Chad taunted, placing extra emphasis on the word "busy" while sharing an amused look with Zeke and Jason.

Troy just chuckled, tightening his embrace around Gabriella's waist a bit more. "Yep…you could say that."

Gabriella blushed at this.

"Wait. Sharpay, why don't you look surprised?" Kelsi asked, her friend's silence and contented smile seeming uncharacteristic.

"Well, first of all, no one here should really be surprised," Sharpay remarked, looking around the group with amusement, only to see them ponder that statement for a moment before shrugging and nodding their agreement to it. "But, I, being wise and all-knowing, just happened to give this one a forceful nudge in the right direction last weekend," she finished, giving Gabriella a playful poke in the arm.

"Uh huh. Had nothing to do with my charming ways," Troy put in, rolling his eyes.

"Don't flatter yourself, Bolton," Sharpay shot back, earning her a blue-eyed glare.

"Ahem," Gabriella cut in, soothingly rubbing her thumbs back and forth over Troy's forearms, which still rested around her waist. "I'd say you were both pretty convincing. Let's leave it at that."

"So, you knew all week and you didn't tell me, Shar?" Zeke asked, playfully poking his wife.

"And miss the handsome clueless look on your face?" Sharpay teased.

"Hey…" Zeke began, before he was cut off by Gabriella.

"Guys, don't be upset with Shar. I asked her not to say anything. We thought it'd be more fun to surprise you guys tonight."

"Hmm…I should be pissed you didn't tell me, Gabs, but looking at you two finally returning to the land of the un-stupid, I just can't be anything but happy for you. Now, let go of her, Troy, so I can give my friend a hug," Taylor ordered with a grin.

Grinning himself, Troy complied and Gabriella embraced her friend with much shared giddiness.

"Well, I want in on this too," Kelsi said with a giggle before going over to wrap her arms around both her girlfriends.

"Oh, honestly. No one hugs the one who made it all happen," Sharpay said with a dramatic sigh.

"Shar, shut up and get over here," Gabriella playfully ordered, as all three girls opened their arms enough to bring Sharpay into the group hug as well.

The guys just looked on with amusement as the girls hugged and twirled around and began to talk animatedly about exactly what had transpired the previous weekend.

"What? Nobody wants to hug me?" Troy joked.

"Dude…seriously…one week back with Gabs and you're already more of a girl than ever," Chad teased.

"Yeah, Troy…should we paint each other's nails later too?" Jason joined in.

"Oh, ha ha," Troy responded, good-naturedly accepting the ribbing.

"Seriously though, dude, it's about time," Chad said with a grin.

"Yeah, man," Jason added, earning a shrug and a smile from Troy.

Then, they all looked at Zeke who had been pretty quiet. "What is it man?" Troy asked him.

"I just still can't believe Shar didn't tell me all week. I mean, she has a pretty big mouth and usually can't keep from telling me stuff," Zeke responded, still looking incredulous.

"Zeke Reginald Baylor, I heard that!" Sharpay snapped from across the room. "You find the couch comfortable then, do you?" she threatened.

"Reginald?" everyone else asked at the same time, causing the crimson to rise on Zeke's cheeks.

"Uh, yeah…my mom obviously hated me from birth," he said, looking down with embarrassment.

"Obviously," Chad remarked, earning him a cluck and a look of disapproval from his wife.

"Anyway," Zeke continued, approaching his scowling wife, "Shar, baby, I didn't mean it like that. I just am surprised you didn't even let it slip to me."

"Hmmph! I can keep a secret, thank you very much…like that Taylor over here actually hates the color of the furniture Chad wants to put in their new game room and Kelsi is less than pleased with Jason's choice of tux for their wedding…" Sharpay stopped, clapping her hands over her mouth and staring wide-eyed at Taylor and Kelsi's unhappy countenances.

At that moment, a buzzer sounded in the kitchen.

"Oh!" Gabriella exclaimed anxiously. "That must mean the taquitos are done. I'll just…" she trailed off, scurrying toward the kitchen.

"Uh, yeah…I'll just help her," Troy put in quickly before following Gabriella out of the room.

As he entered the kitchen, he watched her grab a potholder and pull the baking sheet with the taquitos on it carefully out of the oven, placing it down on top to cool for a few minutes. They could hear the sounds of their friends' raised voices drifting in from the other room. Gabriella moved over to the counter and hoisted herself up so she could sit on it, not in a hurry to rejoin the craziness in the other room just yet. Troy smiled as he walked over and stood between her dangling legs, comfortably resting his hands on her hips, also not in a hurry to head back into the living room.

"So…that went well…kind of," Troy noted, as Gabriella grinned back at him.

"Well, at least she kept our secret," she added wryly.

Troy nodded. "So, now what?"

"Um, we hide out in here until it seems safe to go back in…"

"And, how shall we pass the time, Miss Montez? Need my help getting anything else cooking?" Troy teased, wiggling his eyebrows at her.

"You are a total cheeseball, Mr. Bolton," she said, reaching out to run her fingers through his hair.

"You love it," Troy said playfully, moving himself even closer to her.

"Yes…I do," Gabriella replied, leaning forward to join her lips to his lovingly.

They stayed like that for some time, kissing each other, lips and tongues moving in time with each other, expressing how much they had missed this during the day when they were apart. They were very much enjoying their quiet time together, getting swept up in each other as they'd been doing so easily all week long, until an unwelcome interruption resounded throughout the kitchen, in the form of their friends' loud and taunting voices calling from the other room…

"Troy! Gabs! Stop making out and get your butts back in here! We're not fighting anymore, chickens!"

"And we want those taquitos!" Chad put in as an additional thought.

Troy and Gabriella detached their lips reluctantly, looking at each other with small smiles on their faces. Gabriella sighed and Troy reached up to move a lock of her dark hair gently behind one ear, as he looked at her longingly.

"You don't suppose they'll want to call it an early night, do you?" he asked softly.

"Our friends…not likely," she replied, shrugging her shoulders and tilting her head in a helpless gesture.

"Well…" Troy responded, thinking for a moment, "…what if this batch of taquitos happened to have burned…?"

"And we would have to go get more…" Gabriella added, catching on, "Chad would be very upset if we didn't get more…"

"Well, then…" Troy said, moving away from Gabriella toward the pan of taquitos, wrapping them up quickly in the foil they'd been heated on, and throwing the foil package into the fridge.

Gabriella watched him, quirking a brow at his actions.

"What? We can't really let them go to waste," he remarked defensively, causing Gabriella to giggle at his characteristic food loving attitude.

Hopping down off the counter, she walked over to Troy and pulled him in for one more quick kiss, before grabbing her purse from the chair it was currently hanging from and heading toward the deck. "You go tell the gang the _bad_ news and I'll go start the car," she tossed back over her shoulder with a wink before disappearing through the back door.

Troy just chuckled looking after her and then turned to head into the living room, hoping he'd be able to make his escape quickly. He loved the gang but the thought of getting to spend a brief amount of quality alone time with his girlfriend was just a little bit more appealing…

* * *

**Later that night…**

Gabriella, Taylor, Kelsi, and Sharpay were lounging on the back deck, staring up at the stars and sipping the frozen margaritas they'd mixed up in the blender a little while ago. The guys were all inside, getting competitive on the Wii that Troy had brought to the cabin and introduced Gabriella to the joy of a couple days ago. Even out on the deck, the women could periodically hear the guys' cheers and jabs as they got worked up.

"So, Gabs, exactly how steamy was the, um, reunion?" Taylor asked, leaning in a bit, awaiting the juicy details from her friend. Sharpay and Kelsi followed suit, eyeing Gabriella with interest.

Gabriella focused on swallowing her latest sip of margarita, her eyes widening a bit at the question; however, having had these types of chats with her friends for years now, she knew just how serious their interest was.

"Okay, first of all, Troy would just love that you're asking me this…" she said, voice dripping with sarcasm.

"Eh, he's a big boy…and he is, from what you told us years ago…so, he can just deal," Sharpay threw in with a smirk.

Gabriella felt the blush rise on her cheeks at Sharpay's reminder. "Second…," she said with emphasis, "I was going to say that I don't care because I'm kind of giddy and I want to share stuff with you guys." A smile formed on all faces on the deck as she said this.

"So…" Kelsi prompted.

Gabriella laughed. "So…it was…has been…heat wave steamy…scorching…amazing…perfect…"

"Wow, Gabs!" Kelsi exclaimed. "I'm so happy for you guys!"

"My, my, my" Taylor said with a smirk, "our Gabs is gettin' some gooood lovin!" This sent the girls into peals of laughter again as Gabriella poked Taylor in the arm with not too sincere of a reproach.

"Hmmmph…no wonder she had to go sneakin' off earlier to have some more of it," Sharpay accused good-naturedly, elbowing Gabriella as she said so.

"I have no idea what you're talking about Shar…we were simply being good hosts and getting Chad those taquitos he wanted so much," Gabriella replied with a huge grin on her face.

"Yeah, well, Chad may believe that, but we know better," Taylor put in.

"Fine…I'm shameless," Gabriella responded, "I just can't seem to get enough of him now."

"Well, no wonder if it's as good as you say…no worries, Gabs, we don't blame you," Kelsi said, before adding "You should enjoy this…you guys deserve to enjoy your blissful reunion…it's been a long time coming."

"Any pun intended there, Kels?" Sharpay asked with an evil glint in her eye.

"Noooo!" Kelsi cried defensively, a light blush rising on her own cheeks.

"You're all completely naughty," Gabriella mock scolded.

"Fine. We'll move on to something more serious," Taylor remarked thoughtfully. "Aside from all the hot stuff, what does all this mean for you and Troy?"

"Well, Tay, I don't know. I mean, we've decided to try being together again as boyfriend and girlfriend. We've moved right into the physical stuff because, well, we really couldn't help ourselves," Gabriella trailed off with a sheepish look on her face.

"Uh, yeah, Gabs…that's been a bit obvious," Shar stated dryly.

Taylor spoke again. "Yes, we can see that and I know it's pretty early considering you guys just decided this last weekend, but I guess I'm just wondering if you guys will be or have taken other steps yet."

"What do you mean, Tay?" Gabriella asked curiously.

Taylor shared a look with Kelsi and Sharpay before continuing. "Okay, well, how did Troy get in earlier when we were all waiting on him? Did you leave the back door unlocked?"

"Um…no. He has a key."

"Hmmm…since when?" Taylor continued.

"Um, Wednesday."

"And, this doesn't seem kind of big to you?"

"No, Tay. Look…it's Troy. I was thinking I might give him a key anyway once he got back from his travels, you know, just as my best friend having an extra key to my place. And, well, the opportunity just presented itself Wednesday when I handed him my keys so he could take my car to be cleaned."

The girls all cocked skeptical eyebrows in Gabriella's direction.

"What? Okay, I'll admit it's obviously more than that now. I mean, after Sunday, I really didn't want him to leave and go back to his apartment just yet. And, he did end up staying until Tuesday morning. Tuesday night we spent apart again, which kind of stunk but then Wednesday, he was going to crash at the cabin again…anyway, it just felt natural to tell him he could make a copy for himself. I want him here often and his having a key of his own…I don't know, just seems helpful I guess."

"Helpful, huh?" Sharpay said with a snort.

Gabriella sent a scowl her way.

"So, wait," Kelsi cut in, "if Troy has a key to your place, do you have a key to his?"

Gabriella blushed a bit more at this. "Um, yes, actually. I noticed an extra key on my keychain after Troy returned it and asked him about it. He made me a copy of his too and put it on there for me."

"Aw, Gabs, that's really sweet," Kelsi remarked.

"Yeah, but what exactly are you guys telling each other with this?" Taylor probed.

"They're telling each other that all hour booty calls are welcome!" Sharpay snickered, receiving a smack from Gabriella in retaliation.

"I don't know, Tay…I guess just that we want to see each other a lot…and spend nights together…and with our different schedules, this just means that the one of us not living there doesn't have to rush out if the other one does. So, if Troy stays over, given his love of sleeping in, he doesn't have to get up when I do for work so that I'm able to lock up the cabin."

"And?" Taylor asked softly.

Gabriella sighed. Taylor was very good at getting her to really examine her actions and anticipate the future decisions she'd need to make.

"And," she continued softly, "I guess it is a message…and a test…I really didn't want him to leave on Tuesday. I like waking up next to him and going to sleep next to him…more than like…it feels like I've realized something huge I've been missing and I want to hold onto that. Well, I just want him to know how much I am enjoying that and want it to continue. Plus I want to show him I'm serious about this. I didn't make the decision lightly. I plan to give this my all and I don't plan to hurt him again either."

Taylor smiled at her friend's assessment. "That makes a lot of sense, Gabs."

"Well, Bolton's given you his key so he obviously means business too," Sharpay remarked.

"That's true, Gabs," Kelsi agreed.

Gabriella smiled, thinking of how she had used the key for the first time on Thursday. She'd left work early since she knew Troy had an afternoon meeting. She had surprised him with a candlelit dinner at his place and had brought an overnight bag with her, adding to Troy's delight in the surprise.

"Oh no…there she goes drifting off into a hot sex memory," Sharpay accused, taking another sip of her margarita.

Gabriella didn't bother defending herself.

"Well, it sounds like it's been very exciting for you two…and this key thing is probably a really good step…and if you've been spending every night together anyway…well, maybe you'll be taking another step soon enough," Kelsi said with a smile.

Gabriella smiled back before biting her lip a bit.

"What's with the lip biting, Gabs?" Taylor asked.

"It's just…Kels is right. I am already thinking of that next step, of just sharing one place, but…is it way too fast to be thinking like that?"

"Fast!" Sharpay barked. "Fast, she says!"

"Okay, obviously you have an opinion on the matter, Shar…spit it out." Gabriella responded testily.

"Gabs…you know my opinion on you thinking things are happening fast. You and loverboy have been years in the making, or re-making as it were. You know everything about each other. Two weeks ago, before all that went down last weekend, you guys would have gladly cooked for each other and brushed each other's teeth no doubt anyway. So, do I think exchanging keys is fast? No. Will I think it's too fast if you guys move in together next week? No. If I have to make sure my bridesmaid dress is completely fabulous next month…"

"Okay, Shar, I get it," Gabriella interrupted. "And, one thing at a time. I said I'm thinking about it…next week…well, I probably wouldn't count on providing us with boxes next week. I'm just saying maybe…but I don't want to freak Troy out either. I mean, I know he wants to be with me, but I don't know if he wants to clean toilets with me," she said with a small smile.

"I'm pretty sure if you handed that man a toilet wand and some cleaner and shot him one of your adorable little smiles, he'd run right into the bathroom and get to work," Taylor teased, eyes suddenly widening before continuing "Wouldn't you, Troy?"

Gabriella's eyes widened a bit too, having heard the creak of the screen door behind her and seen Taylor's expression change, indicating to her that Troy was now standing behind her.

"Wouldn't I what?" Troy asked, confirming her suspicions.

Turning quickly, Gabriella answered for Taylor. "Um…be willing to show the girls how to rock out on Guitar Hero," she supplied, as it was the first thing that came to her mind.

"Uh…yeah, sure…if you can tear the guys away from it long enough," Troy joked, leaning down to give Gabriella a quick kiss on the lips.

"Okay, okay, enough with the sickening," Sharpay exclaimed, screwing up her face in mock disgust. "Let's go inside and see if we can't succeed in tearing the guys away from their game," she said, getting up and motioning for Kelsi and Taylor to follow, exchanging knowing looks with them. The girls happily followed Sharpay in this one instance, wanting to give their friends a few more moments alone.

"See, Gabs…I knew Troy would be more than happy to oblige," Taylor threw back over her shoulder with a smirk and a wink toward her friend before entering the cabin.

Gabriella blushed as Troy turned back from watching the girls enter the house. "What was that about?"

"Oh, nothing…just the girls being silly…teasing about us and such."

"Oh, boy…do I want to know?"

"Nah…probably not," Gabriella said with a laugh as Troy sat down in the deck chair next to her, pulling her up and over into his lap.

"So…alone again…" Troy said huskily. Just then, they both heard loud cheers from inside. "Well…sort of," he said with a chuckle.

"You and the guys have fun playing?" Gabriella asked, reaching out to move some of Troy's hair out of his eyes.

"Yeah…Chad can't accept that he keeps losing to me…so, I came out here to give him a fair chance."

"Oh, really…not because you were missing me, huh?" Gabriella simpered, batting her eyelashes at him dramatically.

"Well…maybe…I might have been hoping you'd want to sneak off again and have a repeat of earlier."

"Oh, I don't know…not sure if you could take that much excitement in one night."

"I think I handled it just fine earlier."

"Actually, I think I did," Gabriella remarked brazenly.

"Mmmm…indeed you did…"

"Yes…isn't it nice that Sheila's family only use the cabin they inherited from her on select weekends?"

"It is…and you're such a good neighbor for stopping by and checking on the place," Troy teased, moving his face closer to Gabriella's.

"Yes…I'm very neighborly," she murmured moving her own head closer to Troy's before moving her lips to his.

"Are you guys coming in any time tonight?!" they heard Jason yell from inside.

Grinning, they pulled apart. "We should probably get back inside," Gabriella said softly.

"I guess we should," Troy agreed, leaning in to kiss her softly once more before letting her stand up from his lap and following her as she walked toward the screen door. He put his hand on her arm right before she could open the door and leaned forward to murmur in her ear suggestively, "I'm glad our friends are happy for us and it's good hanging out with them, but if they're still here at 1am, I'm kicking them out so I can put you to bed properly."

Gabriella giggled. "Sounds like a plan," she murmured back, shooting him a flirty smile before opening the door so they could both head toward the loud music in the living room.

* * *

**AUTHOR'S NOTE: **So, I hope that was a bit fun and also perhaps helpful in fleshing out the whole key stuff a bit more. I know it's week 1, but at the same time, it's like year 11 for them and I also think that when they made their decision last Sunday, they decided a bit more subconsciously than just to try dating again. They realized a lot about the importance of the other person in their life. So, anyhoo, that's kind of where that stuff is coming from.

Well, as to the fun this gang could have...we continue to see more of the fun the real gang got to have filming the third movie..."there's so many things you can do with a hand"...LMAO, Efron! If you don't know what this refers to, vid link's on my profile. Truly, the enjoyment I'm getting from these vids... :-) Thanks all for continuing to read and review!


	20. Stay

**

* * *

**

Looking Back to Move Forward

SUMMARY: Troy and Gabriella have been friends for 11 years, best friends. They've even been more, but circumstances years ago led them to end their romance and revert back to just being friends. But will one special weekend of reminiscing about their lives and the memories they've shared remind them of the one thing that they're both missing? **M** for adult situations/subject matter and sexual references/depictions.

DISCLAIMER: I do not own these wonderful characters...I just love them like the rest of you. :-) I do not own Zac Efron either...though the idea is certainly tempting...LOL!

**AUTHOR'S NOTE:** Howdy! Thanks all for confirming that you felt okay with the way their relationship is progressing. This chapter should sit well with you then. LOL! Read on, enjoy, review!

* * *

Chapter 20 – Stay

**  
Two weeks later…(post evening with the gang)**

"I still can't get over the amount of black in this room."

Troy looked down at Gabriella, who was currently snuggled up next to him on the bed, her head resting on his bare chest and her eyes obviously roaming the room. They had gone out to dinner and had ended up back at Troy's apartment.

"What, Ella? It's simple…utilitarian…goes with everything…"

"Yes, but…I don't know, it's a little bleak and cold…some color wouldn't hurt."

"You bring color to it…this golden skin…" he said, rubbing his hand lightly along her back, "the pink flush it takes on when you are…exerted…"

Gabriella just looked up at him and shook her head. "And brown from all the bull you're spouting?"

"Might I point out that the black hasn't seemed to bother you these past few weeks…and you really didn't seem too bothered about it about 15 minutes ago…oh, wait, you were a bit bothered…but not by the room."

Again, Gabriella shook her head, rolling her eyes this time at his teasing. "Troy, I'm not bothered, per se. I'm just sharing a thought…an opinion. It's your place. You can do what you want with it."

"Well, um, yes…I can," Troy responded, not really sure about this conversation. And, for once in his life, he kind of minded being able to do what he wanted with it and it just being his place.

Sensing Troy's discomfort, Gabriella bit her lip and put her head back down on his chest facing away from him. "Sorry, Troy…just…don't mind me," she said somewhat distantly. She paused a moment before speaking again. "Anyway, I should be going," she said, starting to sit up and move to climb off the bed.

Before she could, Troy reached out and pulled her back down, so that she was resting on top of his chest again, her face inches from his. "Oh, no you don't…stay…I'll bring something colorful in if it will convince you."

Gabriella couldn't help but laugh at Troy's bargaining chip. "I didn't bring more stuff," she whined slightly, "I'll have to do the drive of shame tomorrow if I stay."

"First of all…_drive_ of shame? That's just silly. And, second of all, how is it shameful to have spent the night with your boyfriend who loves you very much?"

Gabriella grinned. "Dammit, Bolton! How can I argue with that?"

"You can't," Troy grinned back.

"Fine," she fake pouted, grabbing the remote from the nightstand and sitting up and flipping the TV on, "but I'm taking you up on the whole something colorful thing."

"Hmmm…yeah, I don't really know what I have to bring in here…oh, wait!" he exclaimed, hopping off the bed, pulling his boxers on, and jogging out of the room, Gabriella laughing after him.

She waited for him, slipping on one of his t-shirts while flipping through the channels until finding an entertainment news program she liked.

Within a minute, Troy returned. She looked over to see his lopsided grin first and then looked down just as he rolled a basketball around from behind his back. Gabriella pursed her lips and shook her head.

"What? It's orange…quite a colorful color, I'd say," Troy remarked, sitting the ball on the dresser, well in Ella's view, before crawling back into bed.

Gabriella rolled her eyes at him and looked back at the screen, a smirk suddenly forming on her face. "That's okay, Troy. I've found something colorful…"

Troy looked at her, waiting for her to continue.

Eyeing the screen with a meaningfully longing look, she sighed. "Yes…the blue of Zac Efron's eyes…that is a wonderful addition of color to this room right now," she said in her best dreamy voice, causing Troy to follow her eyes to the screen and frown.

"My eyes are blue."

"Not that blue."

"His are in high definition!" he defended.

"No. This program's not filmed in high-def yet," she remarked, still staring at the screen, watching the interview that was taking place.

"Well, Zac Efron does not make you see the array of colors I made you see just a little while ago," Troy said with a smirk.

Gabriella grinned, having too much fun with this conversation. "But, I'm sure he could…"

"Oh…" Troy grabbed the remote, turning the tv off. "Get over here," he said, pulling her beneath him and tickling her until she was breathless with her giggling.

"Who has the best blue eyes?" he asked menacingly.

"Zac," Gabriella choked out stubbornly.

At this, Troy picked up the speed of his fingers, watching her squirm and pant beneath him. "Zac, huh?" he gritted out a few moments later.

"Zac who?" Gabriella gasped.

Troy stopped his hands at this, looking pleased with himself. Gabriella smiled up at him happily, staring into the blue eyes she did indeed love more than any others.

"That's what I thought," he said cockily, eyes twinkling as he stared down at her once again flushed appearance, her messy hair, his shirt, which had ridden up her thighs quite a bit in her struggles beneath him, and her smiling expression.

Gabriella reached up a finger and trailed it down Troy's temple past his left eye and down his cheek and then over his lips lightly before letting her hand drop down to her side again. "The best lips too," she murmured softly.

Smiling, Troy leaned down and kissed her for a few minutes. "So, you're good with staying here with my great eyes and lips and my basketball in my cold, bleak, black room?" he asked, pulling back just a little.

"Yeah…I'm good," she said huskily. "And all I see in front of me is hot," she teased.

"Oh, how quickly you change your tune…"

"Eh…I'm a girl…it's my prerogative," she said dismissively.

"I'm very glad you're a girl," Troy whispered playfully, before leaning down to connect their lips again.

* * *

**The following week…**

Troy and Gabriella were curled up on the sofa watching the end of a movie. As the credits rolled, Troy yawned. "Aw, babe…tired?" Gabriella asked.

"Yeah…a bit…all these interviews still and the meetings to get the charity events set up…it's just tiring me out more than I expected."

"Do you have enough clothes here to stay another night? I could throw in a load of laundry."

Troy smirked. "Is that all I need to do to get my laundry done? Bring all my dirty clothes here and declare I'll have to go home since I've run out of clean ones? Man, I haven't been using this to my advantage."

Gabriella smacked him playfully at this. "Did I say I could throw in a load? I meant you could throw in a load," she smartly replied.

"Hmmm…well, in that case, see you tomorrow!" Troy exclaimed, hopping up off the sofa, giving her a peck on the lips and heading out the front door.

Gabriella sat there, arms folded, lips pursed, and waited. Within a minute, Troy came back in, shutting and locking the door behind him and coming to sit back down beside her.

"What? You didn't once think I might be serious?" he asked playfully.

"Your wallet, phone, and keys are sitting on the coffee table, genius," she deadpanned.

Troy eyed them with amusement. "So they are." He turned back and noticed Gabriella's expression was serious. "Ella, what's going on in that mind of yours? You know I was just messing around, right?"

"Yeah, Troy, I know…it's just…what are we doing?"

"What do you mean?" Troy asked, the uncertainty in her voice giving him pause.

"I mean, well…how many nights have we spent apart in the last month?"

"I don't know…7 or 8 maybe?"

"And our nights apart, what do we do?"

"Um…catch up on stuff at our own places, talk on the phone about how we can't wait to see each other the next day," Troy teased, gently rubbing his finger back and forth over Gabriella's knee soothingly.

"Exactly!" she exclaimed. "Aren't you a little tired of having the 'are you staying or going?' conversation each night?"

"Well, if it means I negotiate getting my laundry done…" Troy joked, trying to lighten the mood.

"Troy, I'm serious…and for the record, Donna Reed of me as it may seem, I really wouldn't mind doing your laundry."

"Um…okay. Well…yeah, I mean, the conversation is pretty routine and most nights, it does result in one of us staying at the other's place, depending where we are. And the nights it doesn't, when we have to separate, it kinda sucks."

"So, stay."

"I am staying, Ella. I was just kidding before. I have enough clothes for tomorrow."

"No, Troy…stay…as in, move in," she said quietly but firmly.

Troy was quiet for a moment, just holding her gaze. "Seriously?" he asked, his eyes still meeting hers searchingly.

"Yeah," she breathed.

Troy thought for another moment. "Well, I guess we are basically living together now with a minimal number of nights apart."

Gabriella nodded, watching his face as he worked it all out.

"And I was thinking of talking to you about this soon anyway, since my lease is up in a month. I just didn't know if you'd think it was too soon."

"No…I mean, initially, that thought crossed my mind. But it just feels right…and, we aren't strangers…I don't know if much of anything can be considered sudden with us," Gabriella said with a smile.

Troy chuckled at this. "Well, good. I don't think it's too soon either. I just don't want you to regret anything."

"I don't…I won't," she assured him, taking hold of his hand that was still resting on her knee.

Troy's grin widened, his eyes lighting up at her response.

"So, I mean, do you mind? Leaving your apartment and coming to live here?" Gabriella asked, a bit nervous about the request despite Troy's positive response to the idea in general. "I mean…I know it's not all that polished…and I know our styles differ somewhat…"

Troy stopped her right there. "Mind? No, Ella, I don't mind. And I like the style of this place just fine. You sure you won't mind me moving my junk out here?"

"Of course not. But, I mean, I'm not being too selfish in asking you to be the one to move, am I?"

"No," Troy said immediately. "This is your family's cabin…and it's part of who you are…my apartment, eh, it's just an apartment. I wasn't planning on staying in it anyway."

"Okay." Gabriella paused before asking softly, "So, we're doing this?" A smile teased the corners of her lips.

Troy returned that smile. "Yeah, we're doing this," he said confidently before cradling her cheek in his hand and pulling her in for a lengthy kiss. "And, for the record," he continued as he pulled back, "I've been doing my own laundry for years now…that did not play into my decision."

Gabriella laughed before responding cheekily, "Oh? Well, it did in mine…the darks are piling up…it'd be wonderful if you threw a load in."

"Oh, would it now?" Troy mocked, kissing her sweetly on the nose, before emitting an exaggerated sigh. "And, so it begins…"

* * *

**AUTHOR'S NOTE:** Hope that worked for everyone. :-) Do you suppose Barbara will be happy to have Troy as a new neighbor? LMAO! Oh, and the first part of this chapter was not at all inspired by the wealth of entertainment program interviews of some random kids associated with some random musical movie currently sitting recorded on my dvr or by conversations I may or may not have had with my Troy regarding the high-definition enhancement of someone's eyes on these interviews that he may or may not have to watch over and over and over again... Grin

And...on that train of thought...holy hotness! Have you seen the Teen Vogue covershoot vid? You probably have (it's the one with the word "thud" next to it on my profile...LOL). I don't even know if I can pick out one favorite part...it's all fabulous. Though, if I had to pick a few, the shaving followed by his hand on the mirror (such a cute facial expression), the skateboarding, and the on the bed (give me a break...you've read my M...heh!) would probably rank up there. :-D


	21. Our

**Looking Back to Move Forward  
**

SUMMARY: Troy and Gabriella have been friends for 11 years, best friends. They've even been more, but circumstances years ago led them to end their romance and revert back to just being friends. But will one special weekend of reminiscing about their lives and the memories they've shared remind them of the one thing that they're both missing? **M** for adult situations/subject matter and sexual references/depictions.

DISCLAIMER: I do not own these wonderful characters...I just love them like the rest of you. :-)

**AUTHOR'S NOTE: **First, sorry for the longer time between chapters. It's not from lack of desire to write them, I promise...just a lot of other stuff keeping me busy. Let's see...for Dee, some moving fun...for xZANESSA4LIFEx, some family stuff. :-) For Andizzle, something in here not at all inspired by that blue-eyed guy I really don't like one single bit...lol. For all of you, more sweet Troyella...and my continued thanks!

* * *

Chapter 21 - Our

Troy and Gabriella spent the next two weeks figuring out what all needed to be done to prepare for Troy's official move to the cabin. Troy had alerted the apartment office that he did not plan to renew his lease. The two of them started collecting boxes from their friends and set to the task of packing Troy's stuff up.

"You don't actually need all 50 of these shot glasses, do you?" Gabriella asked, removing one from the cabinet and quirking a brow at Troy.

"What? We aren't going to have any huge parties consisting of at least 50 people passed out in our living room?" Troy joked.

"First of all, I draw the line at 10 people passed out in our living room and second of all, yes we'll have parties but people will not need their own individual shot glasses. They will end up sharing, oh, about three, as they always do."

Troy thought back to other parties they'd been to or that either of them had thrown and he knew she had a good point, not that he had meant to hold onto all those shot glasses anyway. They were part of a collection he'd begun in college but had long since stopped adding to. But, his mind had focused on something other than their discussion of shot glasses. "We said 'our'…" he said, trailing off and smiling at her.

Gabriella smiled, not expecting that comment in return. "Yeah…well, it will be…basically is…our living room…in our cabin."

"Mmm…I like the sound of that," he said, approaching her and sliding his arms around her waist, his hands resting on the small of her back.

Gabriella placed the shot glass down on the counter and wrapped her own arms around his neck. "Me too," she returned softly, before leaning up to meet Troy's lips in a sweet kiss. Pulling back after a minute or so, she smiled up at him. "But, if we want to get all of your stuff moved over to our cabin, we should probably get back to work," she said softly.

Troy leaned his forehead against hers and sighed. "We haven't earned a break, yet?" he asked hopefully.

"This was a break."

"It was too short," Troy complained, trying his best at a pout and a pitiful face.

Gabriella laughed at his attempt. "Bolton," she said, in what was meant to be a stern voice, "do you want to live with me or not?"

Troy knew he wasn't going to win this one. "Yes," he answered simply.

Gabriella moved one hand from his neck and reached down to pick up the shot glass she'd placed on the counter. Holding it up in front of Troy's face, she continued. "Then, start telling me which of these you are fully attached to and which ones we can donate."

"I'm fully attached to you. We can donate everything else," Troy replied with a smirk.

Gabriella looked at him with amusement. "Nice try, charmer."

Troy narrowed his eyes playfully at her before releasing her waist and turning to the cabinet containing the shot glasses, starting to remove them and separate them into those he wanted to keep and those he didn't.

Gabriella grinned, placing the shot glass she still held down with the others and moving to tackle another cabinet, removing plates, wrapping them in paper and placing them carefully into a box. They had decided to keep Troy's set of dishes and just combine them with Gabriella's so they'd have more for family gatherings or having their friends over. They worked in relative silence for a little while, making some good progress on the kitchen.

Next, they moved onto the living room, sorting through Troy's dvds and cds and separating out any that were duplicated in Gabriella's collection or that Troy just didn't want anymore. Having packed up those to be moved and set aside those to be donated, Gabriella felt pretty good about how much they'd accomplished that evening. Seeing Troy start to look around the room to determine what they should focus on next, she moved closer to him and slid her arms around his waist from behind, rubbing her hands lovingly over his abs. Troy grinned, turning around in her arms. "Break time?" he asked.

Laughing inwardly, Gabriella looked back at him and shook her head back and forth, watching his face fall a bit. She smirked at this, before clueing him in to what she really intended. Pulling out of his arms, she reached down and grabbed hold of one of his hands. Troy watched her quizzically. "Come on, Bolton. Let's go sort out the bedroom," she said saucily.

Troy's face lit up and he happily let her pull him in the direction of the bedroom. He certainly didn't need another invitation…

* * *

**Several days later…**

"Ella, what happened to the boxes that were sitting in the dining room?"

Gabriella looked up at him from the box she was just closing in the bedroom. "What do you mean, Troy? I took those to the donation drop off location earlier along with the boxes of the stuff I decided to donate from the cabin."

"What? Why? Those weren't supposed to be donated," Troy exclaimed, seemingly upset.

Gabriella's eyes widened and her mouth went dry at this. She racked her brain to try to remember their earlier conversations about those boxes. "No, Troy, they were. Remember? We said that we'd put the 'to be donated' items in the dining room so we didn't get them confused with the stuff to be moved," she defended.

"But not all of them, Ella! Just the ones in the center of the room, not the ones against the wall."

"Wha…? But you didn't tell me that, Troy. I thought we said any that went in there should be donated." She watched in horror as Troy turned away from her and ran his hands through his hair in frustration.

No longer facing her, Troy let the smile that had been threatening spread across his face. He knew he was being mean, but, well, he had never been one to shy away from a good opportunity to pull a prank, even on the woman he loved.

"Troy, baby, I'm sorry…I honestly thought that's what we said. What was in the other boxes? I can go back to the donation center and see if I can get them back. It's only been a few hours. They probably haven't done anything with them yet."

Troy wiped the smile off his face, tried to put on his best pained expression, and turned around to face her again. "Can you, please? Some of those boxes against the wall had some important memorabilia…my winning senior basketball jerseys from high school and college, my framed diplomas, my ESPY award…"

"Oh God, Troy! Oh, I feel so bad. Okay, um, I'm going. I will go and get those boxes back," she said, nervously biting on her lip, pulling her keys out of her pocket, and heading out of the room. She rushed down the hall, grabbed her purse off the kitchen counter, and headed toward the door, starting to mentally panic and sending up a prayer that the donation center had not in fact done anything with those boxes yet and that she could find the right ones.

Just as her hand landed on the doorknob, she felt Troy's hand on her shoulder. Confused, she turned to look at him. Seeing his lips twitching and spreading into a wide grin, his eyes twinkling mischievously, and his shoulders starting to shake in silent laughter, she frowned. She let go of the doorknob, tilted her head and put her hand on her hip, watching him, waiting for the explanation she both wanted to hear and didn't.

"Ella," Troy wheezed, losing his own battle and cracking up with laughter, "don't…don't go."

"Trooooy…"

He just looked at her and cracked up laughing again.

"I didn't donate anything I wasn't supposed to, did I?" she asked, her tone dry, anticipating his answer.

"No," Troy choked out between laughs, "but your face…oh my gosh…that was…priceless."

"Priceless, huh?" she replied, voice dangerously low.

"Uh huh," he replied cheerfully.

Gabriella let her purse slide down her arm until she gripped the short strap with her hand. "Troy Bolton…I…am…going…to…kill…you," she gritted out, punctuating each word with a swing of her purse at him.

Troy backed away from her, hands held up, still laughing despite her purse actually making contact several times. "Ella, come on…I couldn't…resist," he said, catching the purse on its latest swing and removing it from her hands.

"Errrrrrrr"

"Did you just growl at me?"

"Jerk."

"No, seriously, did you just growl at me?" Troy asked with humor lacing his voice.

"Aauuuggh"

Troy started laughing again. He couldn't help it. Her sounds of annoyance were too adorably hilarious.

Gabriella huffed off toward the bedroom again.

Troy let his laughter subside, put her purse back down on the counter, and followed her. As he entered the bedroom, his face suddenly made contact with a pillow. As the pillow dropped away from his face, he looked over toward her only to see another pillow in his line of vision right before it also made contact with his head. Recovering from the second hit, he raised his arm just as another pillow sailed through the air at him. He was able to deflect this one, but still stood there looking a bit stunned.

Seeing her boyfriend caught unawares by the pillow attack and still standing there looking at her uncertainly, Gabriella doubled over with laughter. No, it certainly wasn't an even revenge for the minutes of anguish he'd put her through thinking she'd made a horrible mistake, but still, it did make her feel a bit giddy nonetheless.

Regaining his composure, Troy leaned against the doorframe. "Feel better now?" he asked dryly.

"A smidge," Gabriella remarked.

"I deserved that."

Gabriella snorted at this. "You deserve more."

Troy smirked. "Fair enough. But, baby, you gotta admit…I got you good."

Gabriella scowled at him.

Troy approached her, watching as she crossed her arms firmly across her chest. "Ella…" he cajoled, leaning in to kiss her and ending up kissing her cheek as she turned her head before their lips met. Regrouping, Troy kissed her cheek again, and then her temple, and then her ear. Gabriella closed her eyes. She was melting, damn him. She went to move away but his arms encircled her, keeping her in place.

"I hate you."

"No you don't," he responded, kissing her jaw.

"You suck."

"I know," he murmured into her neck.

Her arms loosened and dropped to her sides. He pulled her closer. "That was mean. Why do I put up with you?"

Troy smiled. "Because I am generally very nice," he said quietly, sucking lightly on her neck and rubbing soothing circles on her back with his fingers.

Gabriella sighed, then allowed her arms to slide around his waist.

Realizing he was winning her over, Troy pulled back and looked down into her face, which had considerably softened in the last few minutes. "Forgive me?" he asked with a small smile.

Though she tried to fight it, she couldn't stop the smile that formed on her own face. "Fine," she said, the last traces of annoyance being voiced in that word.

Troy breathed an inward sigh of relief. He'd had fun with his prank but of course didn't want to have an irritated girlfriend for the rest of the day, or worse, longer.

"So…" He leaned his head toward hers. "Let me make it up to you," he murmured against her lips.

"Okay," she murmured back just before Troy's lips tugged on her own, pulling her into a heady kiss. His hands moved down her body and latched onto the back of her thighs, pulling her legs up to wrap around his waist and carrying her over to the bed. There, he made his amends to her…to her repeated satisfaction.

* * *

**Moving day - a week later…**

"Dude! How do you have this much stuff?" Chad exclaimed with a grunt, as he carried another box into the cabin alongside Troy, who had his own arms full.

"I don't know, man…accumulation."

"I thought you were getting rid of shit."

"I did. Donated a bunch of stuff and gave a bunch of furniture to Kelsi and Jason for their new house."

"You didn't give me anything."

Troy laughed. "Well, what did you want, dude?"

"Hmmm…I can take your PS3 off your hands, your Wii, all your games, your plasma…"

"Uh, no," Troy cut in dryly.

"Then, why the hell am I helping you, Bolton?"

"Because I've done the same for you."

"And because it helps me too, Chad," Gabriella put in sweetly, passing by them with a beautiful smile painted on her face. Chad couldn't help but smile at her happiness and that of his friend, whose eyes glimmered as he watched his girlfriend walk in the opposite direction.

"You so have it bad, man."

"I know," Troy replied, with a goofy grin on his face.

"You sure about this whole moving in, thing? It's seriously like their house, man…don't even attempt to think otherwise," Chad said dramatically, as though imparting sacred wisdom upon his friend.

Troy chuckled. "She's my home…she can do whatever she wants in regard to the house."

"Ugh…you are such a sap, Bolton," Chad said in a disgusted tone, though a smirk swiftly formed on his lips.

Troy just shrugged and they continued down the hall with the boxes, depositing these particular ones into the guest room.

...

Out in the living room, the ladies were starting to open and unpack some boxes. Taylor, Sharpay and Kelsi were there in addition to Gabriella's mom, Maria, and Troy's mom, Lucille. Their parents had decided to come and help out with the moving day activities as they definitely approved of their children's decision to take their relationship to the romantic level again and kind of wanted to see it in action.

...

Jack Bolton was currently out on the deck with Zeke and Jason getting the grill fired up to make everyone some dinner. Troy and Chad stepped out onto the deck to put in their requests before heading back out to Chad's truck to grab some more boxes. These they carried back to Troy and Gabriella's bedroom. Deciding to take a break with the carrying, they started unpacking some of Troy's clothes. Chad carried some of his friend's shirts into the closet only to come walking back out laughing a few seconds later.

"What?" Troy asked, wondering at his friend's amusement.

"Wait," Chad said, going to the bedroom door and calling down the hall asking Gabriella to come back there for a minute. She excused herself and headed back there, curious as to what they needed.

"What's up, Chad?" she asked, entering the room.

Chad put his hand condescendingly on her shoulder and looked her in the eyes. "Okay, Gabs, I know this living with someone thing is new to you, but you do realize that Troy owns more than five shirts, right?"

"Well…yeah…" Gabriella stammered.

"Yeah, well…that's about all you've left him room for in the closet," Chad informed her, with amusement.

Troy's eyes met up with Gabriella's as she looked over at him, eyes widening a bit. "But…no, that can't be right. I thought I made room."

"You donated some clothes and shoes too, right babe?" Troy asked.

"Yeah, Troy."

Troy approached the closet, peering in. Chad was right. Gabriella's clothes lined each side of the walk-in closet and also were stacked on shelves at the back. Her shoes were hung in a shoe organizer over the back of the closet and also stacked on portable shelves in the back of the closet. There was, in fact, a space about two feet wide open on the right side of the closet toward the back. He presumed this was his space. "Um, babe…how many items did you donate?"

Gabriella bit her lip. "Um…a handful of shirts, a couple skirts, a pair or two of shoes…"

"Mmmhmmm…well, that is something," Troy replied carefully. "But Chad's right, hun, I do have a bit more clothing and it's not going to fit in there right now.

Gabriella sent him a sheepish look. "I'm sorry, Troy. I was trying to convince myself that it'd be enough space. I'll do another run through. If nothing else, some stuff of mine can be hung in the guest closet. I'm such a girl. I have too many clothes."

"You're right…you wear too many clothes," Troy said, teasingly pulling on Gabriella's t-shirt.

"Oh! Bolton! Save it for later!" Chad barked at him.

Gabriella giggled. "Chad's right, Troy…think about your shirts, not your pants," she said, giving him a devilish look. "Oh, hey, I did clear out the bottom three drawers for you," she said, pointing toward the dresser.

"Great! I'll make use of those then," he returned in a chipper voice.

"Thanks, babe. We'll figure it out. I promise," Gabriella said sincerely before leaning up to give him a quick peck on the lips before turning and heading toward the doorway. She paused briefly, putting her hand on Chad's shoulder for a few seconds as he had done with hers minutes earlier. "Thanks, Chad," she said in a syrupy voice. "However would we figure this all out without you."

Chad cleared his throat, feeling uncertain about her thank you and the way her eyes were sparkling as she said it. "Um…sure…anytime." And with that, Gabriella swept past him and headed back toward the living room.

Troy burst out with a laugh the second she left. Seeing the look on Chad's face, knowing his friend had just been played, however subtly, by his girlfriend, he couldn't help it.

"What are you laughing at?" Chad growled.

"You."

"Yeah…you just wait…you shouldn't be laughing. You who will 'make use of those then'…you need to fight for space, Troy."

"And for my right to party?" Troy snarked.

"Oh, you think you're so funny? You just wait…you'll see."

"Whatever, dude. We'll figure it out. We get to figure it all out now. It's the greatest thing, man."

Seeing that lopsided grin on his friend's face again, Chad just shook his head at him. He walked over to his friend, slapped him on the back and gave his final words on the matter. "You just hold onto that, buddy." Then, he turned and left the room, leaving Troy staring after him and shaking his own head in amusement before following him a few moments later.

...

When Gabriella re-entered the living room, she smiled at the other ladies who were so sweetly helping she and Troy get settled into their new situation. She moved to sit down on the sofa between Lucille and her mom. A few moments later, she heard the screen door to the deck open and close and heard Chad asking if he was ever going to see those burgers he'd ordered up. She grinned at this and turned to help her mom tear open a box of books and cds. At the same time, Lucille was just opening up a new box she'd pulled over to her. Upon seeing the contents of the box, she stopped and cooed at her finding.

Gabriella stopped pulling books out of the box and stacking them on the coffee table and looked her way curiously. "Oh…look how cute you two were!" Lucille exclaimed, holding up a photo for Gabriella to see. "I don't know why Troy didn't include this day in the scrapbook. We had so much fun."

"You don't know why Troy didn't do what, mom?" Troy asked teasingly as he entered the room.

"I don't know why this day didn't make the cut for Gabriella's scrapbook," she explained again, handing a different photo from the same day back over her shoulder to her son.

Troy looked down at the photo his mother had handed him…

* * *

**AUTHOR'S NOTE: **Yes, yes...a minorly suspenseful ending there...don't get too excited...lol. But, this whole moving day got longer than I anticipated and therefore, has become more than one chapter. And, sorry for the T & G fade-to-black moments, as Dani so aptly called them...but I promise we'll get to see more than Barbara did again before this story's over. ;-)


	22. That Wonderful Bolton Charm

**

* * *

**

Looking Back to Move Forward

SUMMARY: Troy and Gabriella have been friends for 11 years, best friends. They've even been more, but circumstances years ago led them to end their romance and revert back to just being friends. But will one special weekend of reminiscing about their lives and the memories they've shared remind them of the one thing that they're both missing? M for adult situations/subject matter and sexual references/depictions.

DISCLAIMER: I do not own these wonderful characters...I just love them like the rest of you. :-)

**AUTHOR'S NOTE: **Okay, I told you not to get too excited...lol...just taking you back to the photo flashbacks of yesteryear...er, earlier chapters. :-)

* * *

**Previously:**

"_You don't know why Troy didn't do what, mom?" Troy asked teasingly as he entered the room._

"_I don't know why this day didn't make the cut for Gabriella's scrapbook," she explained again, handing a different photo from the same day back over her shoulder to her son._

_Troy looked down at the photo his mother had handed him…_

_  
_

* * *

Chapter 22 – That Wonderful Bolton Charm

The picture in his hand showed he and Gabriella standing in line for the wooden rollercoaster at one of their favorite amusement parks. Troy had a huge smile on his face and Gabriella had a timid smile on hers and looked beyond nervous. Troy peered over Gabriella's shoulder to see the photo she had in her hand. It showed the two of them at the same amusement park, floating along the park's pond in a blue paddle boat, both laughing and seeming to be having a good time. She looked back at him and he turned his picture around so she could see it too.

While Troy and Gabriella were looking these two photos over, Lucille had handed over a few more from that day to Maria, and the girls had scooted closer to take a look as well. Lucille explained to everyone. "This was one of our family's annual outings to Candel's Family Theme Park, except it was a bit different that year because Troy had met and become friends with Gabriella and he asked if she could come along. Well, loving this sweetheart right here," she said, patting Gabriella's knee fondly, "of course we said yes. And these two had such a good time. We all did."

Troy and Gabriella smiled, remembering that day. Recalling his mother's initial question, Troy answered. "We did have a great time. That's the problem…if you want to call it that," he joked. "We have had so many great times. I had to be somewhat selective for the album or I'd never get it done. Come on…you know it's amazing I even got as much in there as I did!"

Everyone laughed at this and pretty much agreed. They had all seen the scrapbook Troy had put together for Gabriella's birthday by now and everyone thought it had turned out great.

Taylor eyed the photos thoughtfully. "Was this when you got Gabs to ride a rollercoaster for the first time?"

Troy smirked. "Yep."

"Oh, I don't think I ever heard this story. Did it take much convincing?" Kelsi asked.

Gabriella smiled at the question. "Hmmm…I don't know…I think it just took some of that wonderful Bolton charm," she replied, looking over at both Boltons currently in the room…

* * *

"_So, what shall we ride first?" Lucille asked her guys and Gabriella._

"_The Wildcat," both guys answered simultaneously._

"_The ferris wheel looks fun," Gabriella replied meekly. _

_Troy stared back at her quizzically. "You'd rather ride the slow, boring ferris wheel than the fast and totally fun Wildcat coaster, a coaster that has our school mascot as its name, which just makes it completely perfect?"_

"_Um…er…yeah. The ferris wheel is fun. And you get to see out over everything too."_

"_Well, yeah, but…" Troy paused, wanting his friend to feel comfortable but really wanting to ride the coasters. "Okay, how about we ride the ferris wheel first and then hit up the Wildcat?" 'There...compromise…problem solved,' he thought. He thought wrong._

"_No, it's okay. You guys should go ride the coaster. I may check out the map here that they gave us. I'm not too sure of all the rides they have here so I can see what looks good while I wait."_

_Jack and Lucille had been sending each other knowing looks during this exchange, before Lucille decided to step in._

"_Hey, guys! Why don't you give Gabriella and I a few moments of girl time? Go ride the Wildcat. We'll check out the map and maybe even grab some sno-cones. Mmm, that sounds good. What do you think, Gabriella?"_

"_Sure, Mrs. Bol…"_

"_Lucy," Lucille corrected gently._

"_Sorry…Lucy…that sounds good to me…if you're sure you don't want to go ride the coaster too."_

"_Nah. I'm still recovering from Jack's driving…"_

"_Hey!" Jack exclaimed._

_Lucille just punched him teasingly on the arm, smirking, before continuing. "Anyway, I need to work myself up to more excitement."_

"_Okay," Gabriella responded._

"_Well, son, you heard the women. Let's go show 'em how it's done."_

_Troy chuckled at this. "Okay. Uh, be back soon," he said, before walking off with his father to get in line for the ride. _

_Once they had walked off, Lucille and Gabriella walked over to the sno-cone vendor Lucille had pointed out and Lucille bought them each cones, saying the guys could get their own once they got back since they could melt if they bought them for them. They moved to sit down on a bench that overlooked the Wildcat coaster._

"_So, afraid of rollercoasters, huh?" Lucille asked gently._

"_I'm kind of obvious, aren't I?" _

"_Well, mainly to me because I've been there. I never used to ride them."_

"_What changed your mind?"_

_Lucille smiled. "Jack. After much convincing, he got me to ride a coaster…not too unlike this one. Well, it really wasn't as bad as I had thought. So, now I enjoy them."_

"_Oh. You make it sound easy."_

"_No, not necessarily easy. But, then, if we only ever do what's easy, we may miss out on a lot of great, exciting things."_

_Gabriella thought about this, looking from Lucille to the coaster moving along its track and back again. She could hear the exhilarated screams drifting through the air. She had to admit they didn't all sound completely horrified…most sounded just thrilled._

"_You don't have to ride the rollercoaster, Gabriella. We'll all understand. I just wanted you to know that I get it since I have been there."_

_Gabriella smiled up at Lucille gratefully. She took another bite of her sno-cone as they looked down at the map and did pick out some other rides they were both interested in._

_The guys came running back over excitedly soon enough. "That was completely awesome!" Troy exclaimed._

_The ladies laughed, happy to see the joy on the guys' faces. They all proceeded to move on to some other rides; the guys were too excited about the rides to care much for a sno-cone. They eventually made their way over to the ferris wheel and Troy and Gabriella shared a car as Lucille and Jack did the same. _

"_So, are you having fun?" Troy asked._

"_Yeah, definitely. You?"_

"_Oh, completely."_

"_Thanks for inviting me, Troy."_

"_Thanks for coming."_

_Following a few minutes of silence, Gabriella spoke again. "See, I told you we'd be able to see the whole park and beyond."_

"_Yeah, it's cool."_

"_But not as cool as the roller coasters, huh?"_

"_They're a different kind of cool," Troy responded diplomatically._

"_Now you're just being nice."_

"_What's wrong with being nice?"_

"_Nothing…I just…I'm sorry, Troy."_

"_For what?"_

"_I don't know…not being as fun as you thought I was?"_

"_Don't be silly. You're very fun."_

"_Even if I don't ride the coasters with you."_

"_Even if you don't."_

"_Okay."_

"_But, Gabriella…I do think you'd like the coasters if you gave them a chance."_

"_I don't know, Troy."_

"_What are you afraid of? It can't be heights…we're up here."_

"_Not heights themselves, but dropping really fast from a height…it might make me sick."_

"_You won't know unless you try."_

"_Do you really want me to throw up on you?"_

_Troy laughed. "Yes, Gabriella Montez. It has been a dream of mine since I met you that you should one day throw up on me."_

_Gabriella narrowed her eyes at him. "Oh, ha ha…very funny."_

"_No, seriously, Gabriella…I don't think you'll get sick, but if you do, you can throw up on me if you need to…or, you know, throw up over the side of the ride, though the people below might mind…or, there's always a trash can once we're off the ride…"_

"_Bolton, you are not helping matters."_

"_You won't be sick."_

"_What if I fall out? That bar across the lap does not look very sturdy."_

"_You won't fall out. I won't let you fall out. I will hold your hand if you like. I'd sit on you to hold you down, but the ride conductors probably wouldn't allow that."_

_Gabriella smiled in spite of herself. "Now, you're just mocking me."_

"_Am not…very serious here."_

_Gabriella sighed. "So, if I do this…and I'm not saying I will…but if I do, you'll hold my hand and let me squeeze it like a madwoman and listen to me scream my bloody head off and make sure I don't fall out AND let me get sick all over you if I need to?"_

"_Yes."_

"_Fine."_

"_Fine?"_

"_Fine, I'll think about it."_

_Troy grinned. "Okay, you do that."_

_Upon departing from the ferris wheel, the group made their way through several other rides until they had looped back around to where the entrance to the Wildcat rollercoaster was located. Troy looked at Gabriella hopefully. She was staring at the coaster and the line and biting on her lip nervously. Turning and seeing Troy's hopeful expression, she gave in and nodded her head ever so slightly. Troy's face split into a wide smile. He reached down and grabbed her hand and pulled her toward the line. Lucille and Jack just smiled, watching them run off. _

_As they neared the front of the line, Gabriella looked at all of the people behind them. They didn't look like they'd be too happy if she tried to push her way back through them to escape. She looked up at Troy's happy face and knew he would be disappointed too. She sighed. "If I live through this, Troy Bolton, I may just kill you," she said as the line shifted even further forward._

_Troy just laughed. "That's a risk I'll have to take."_

_As they sat down in their car and the bar came down over their laps, Gabriella shut her eyes tightly. "Oh my goodness…this is dumb…and I'm a smart girl…why am I doing this? I had such a bright future."_

_Troy rolled his eyes but couldn't help finding her completely cute at that moment. Frustrating, but cute nonetheless. He squeezed her hand, which he had basically been holding since they'd headed off to get in line. He didn't mind though._

_Gabriella felt Troy's hand tighten around her own slightly and it reminded her of his promise and that he was there. She tentatively opened her eyes and glanced his way. The car started to move forward and her eyes widened with fear._

"_Trust me, Gabriella," Troy said, holding her gaze and trying to send as much reassurance as he could her way. It seemed to work. Gabriella held his gaze and took a deep breath. As they neared the top of the first drop, Troy gave her instructions again. "Okay, now, if you want, hold the bar with one hand and just keep hold of my hand with the other. I won't let you go. I promise."_

_Gabriella sent a very weak smile his way and squeezed his hand even tighter. And, then, she felt herself plummeting downward, the air rushing over her. She felt Troy's assurance the whole way down. But she felt something else…free. Certainly, she was glad to make it to the bottom, but she realized, in a bit of a haze, that she had enjoyed the process of getting there. It had been…fun…and exhilarating. Troy squeezed her hand to get her attention as they were being rushed forward toward their next incline. She looked up at him and smiled, a genuine smile. The smile he sent her in return was just as genuine._

_  
_

* * *

"So, it wasn't all Troy's doing? Lucy, it sounds like you helped pave the way and Troy just sealed the deal," Kelsi remarked.

Sharpay snorted at that last expression.

Troy frowned at her. "Oh, very mature, Sharpay."

Grinning, Sharpay just stuck her tongue out at him.

Lucille and Maria very discreetly ignored the exchange.

"So, any good story surrounding the paddle boat? You didn't like push Troy into the water, did you?" Taylor asked.

"No. I couldn't. He had done all he promised and saw that I lived through the roller coaster ride…and I liked it…so, I didn't really have a good reason to try to kill him anymore," Gabriella explained, with a laugh.

"Eh, still…I'm sure he might've deserved a good swim in the pond for some other reason," Sharpay commented, earning another glare from the blue-eyed man in question. "Oh, you know you love me, Bolton. Stop trying to hide it," Sharpay teased.

"As much as I love a good lobster," Troy remarked.

Gabriella stifled a giggle. Troy hated lobster. She knew he didn't hate Sharpay and it was just his way of continuing to spar with their blond-haired friend though Sharpay didn't seem to notice the jab. "Um, no, we just paddled along. The roller coaster was fun and we did ride it again that day too, but I still wanted to do some calmer rides too," Gabriella said, finishing up the discussion of the paddle boat photo.

While this discussion was going on, Maria had been busy rifling through a pile of photos she had grabbed from the box Lucille had opened. Coming to a particular set of photos, she cracked up laughing.

"What is it, mom?" Gabriella asked, turning her head to look at the photos in her mother's hands. "Oh!" she exclaimed, laughing herself…

* * *

**AUTHOR'S NOTE: **So, this moving day will actually encompass three chapters. I'll try to get the next one up soon. Just want to give credit to my Troy for this one as he listened to me brainstorming what type of memory I might do for this and he randomly busted out with "Have them go to an amusement park," which I initially responded to with "Um...random," but got on board with quickly once it came to me how I could use that. :-D So, yeah...thanks, baby! And thanks, as always, to all of you!


	23. Christening

**

* * *

**

Looking Back to Move Forward

SUMMARY: Troy and Gabriella have been friends for 11 years, best friends. They've even been more, but circumstances years ago led them to end their romance and revert back to just being friends. But will one special weekend of reminiscing about their lives and the memories they've shared remind them of the one thing that they're both missing? **M** for adult situations/subject matter and sexual references/depictions.

DISCLAIMER: I do not own these wonderful characters (or any part of the HSM franchise)...I just love them like the rest of you. :-) I also do not own Shakespeare or any of his works, but I do enjoy performances of them. :-)

**AUTHOR'S NOTE:** First of all, my Troy would like to thank you all for liking his random idea last chapter...he would also like to point out he in no way, ever, was in a situation similar to that Troy finds himself in within the flashback this chapter...and that he thinks "Gabriella" was potentially evil. LOL!

* * *

**Previously:**

_While this discussion was going on, Maria had been busy rifling through a pile of photos she had grabbed from the box Lucille had opened. Coming to a particular set of photos, she cracked up laughing._

_"What is it, mom?" Gabriella asked, turning her head to look at the photos in her mother's hands. "Oh!" she exclaimed, laughing herself…_

_  
_

* * *

Chapter 23 – Christening

Troy had also turned his attention to the photos Gabriella and Maria were looking at. "Oh, no…" he groaned, wincing with displeasure at the sight of some of his least favorite photos.

Lucille leaned over and peered at the photos too. Chuckling, she looked back at her son's uncomfortable face. "Troy, sweetie, it wasn't that bad. You looked handsome, just from another era."

Sharpay, Taylor, and Kelsi had by now seen the photos too and were squealing with delight. "Oh, my gosh! That was the best! It was so much fun!" they gushed.

"For you girls maybe," Troy replied testily.

"Come on, Troy, you know you had fun," Taylor enthused, "and you pulled it off better than Chad did."

"Oh…comforting," he said dryly.

"Troy, you did do very well," Kelsi assured him.

"Though Zekey looked the most debonair," Sharpay cooed.

Gabriella had remained silent, just looking the photos over and sending sympathetic glances back toward Troy. Maria followed her daughter's gaze and saw Troy cringe a bit more as the girls reached into the open box and produced even more photos, this time with dancing involved. She choked back another laugh and put her own two cents in.

"Troy, I'm sorry. I understand why you perhaps didn't want to add this memory to the scrapbook, but if you really think about it, you may recall that you did have a good time with the Around the World Festival. You and my daughter here certainly shared quite a few laughs."

Troy sent a weak smile in Maria's direction. He knew she was right, but still, it was something that he would likely cringe at even twenty years from now…

* * *

"_Noooo…"_

"_Troy…"_

"_No, Ella…not happenin'…not in this lifetime."_

"_Troy, you're being a wuss."_

_Troy laughed harshly. "No…but dressing up like that would make me look like one."_

"_It's for one day. Come on, Troy. This is such a great idea. It's unique. Everyone else just picks a country. No one has ever chosen a specific time period for that country. Our team would win for certain. And the added bonus of getting to see the basketball gods dressed up and dancing would surely get us a lot of votes."_

"_Sure…who doesn't want to come watch a trainwreck? I, for one, do not care to make a fool of myself in front of my classmates."_

"_What can I do to convince you?" Gabriella asked flirtily._

"_Nothing."_

"_Troy!" she whined._

"_Tights, Ella! Tights! How can you ask that of me? It is NOT happening."_

"_The other guys are going to do it."_

"_Yeah, right!"_

"_They are, Troy…and so are you," she asserted, smirking at him before walking out the door._

* * *

"How the hell _did_ you get me to agree to it?" Troy asked, not being able to recall at the moment anything more than the uncomfortable feel of those tights.

"Troy! Language!" Lucille scolded. It was habit; he'd always be her little boy, after all.

"Sorry. How the _heck_ did you get me to agree to it?" Troy corrected.

"I'm pretty sure it had something to do with you not liking the guys lined up to be your replacement," Taylor contributed wryly.

"Yeah…especially when they found out we'd be re-enacting a few scenes from Romeo & Juliet as part of our Renaissance Italy theme and Gabriella was our fair Juliet," Sharpay said with an evil grin.

"Oh. That's what it was," Troy mumbled, remembering walking into the auditorium to find his girlfriend reading lines from the party scene with another guy, with other guys waiting seated in the first few rows, hoping their chance would come soon.

* * *

"_O, then, dear saint, let lips do what hands do; they pray, grant thou, lest faith turn to despair._

"_Saints do not move, though grant for prayers' sake."_

"_Then move not..."_

"_Wait!" Troy called, running down the aisle and up onto the stage and stepping in between Gabriella and her would-be Romeo. "You're not actually going to do the kissing part, are you?"_

"_Well, Troy, it's part of the scene."_

"_Yeah, Bolton, it's part of the scene, so move," would-be Romeo, who was actually named Steve, said boldly. "And if you want to audition for the part, you should go sign up and wait your turn," he continued, pointing over to the table sitting right below the stage, where Sharpay, Taylor, and Kelsi were sitting with clipboards in front of them, smirking at Troy. _

"_I already have the part, jackass. Go find your own Juliet," he growled, grabbing Gabriella's hand and pulling her backstage. "Montez, that was mean," he said, exhaling noisily._

"_How so, Troy? You didn't want anything to do with our booth or our performances…"_

"_Fine," he cut her off._

"_What?" _

"_I said fine. I'll do it," he gritted out._

_Gabriella's face lit up with a smile. "Really?"_

"_Yes…really," Troy replied, somewhat dejectedly. _

"_Oh, yay! It'll be fun, Troy. I promise."_

"_Uh huh."_

"_And I'm very grateful..." she continued sweetly, placing a hand on his chest and smiling up at him. "I didn't really want to have to kiss anyone else…you know, once you've had the best, everything else is just a let down."_

_Troy smirked at this. "Okay, suck up, I said I'd do it."_

"_Yeah, but Troy, seriously, thank you. It means a lot to me."_

_Troy sighed. "I know. So, are the other guys doing this too?"_

"_They are now," Gabriella replied with a sly smile._

"_Why's that?"_

"_We made a bet with them. They bet you'd never agree to wear the tights and do the dance. They lost the bet, which means they will be donning Renaissance attire and kicking up their heels too."_

_Troy shook his head. "Great. Now, they can blame me for our shared humiliation." _

_Gabriella's lips twitched as she held back a giggle. "Never underestimate a girl, Troy…or four of them."_

_  
_

* * *

"Troy, I hope you have learned by now not to underestimate my daughter and her determination," Maria said teasingly.

Troy chuckled. "Yes, Maria, that I have."

"Well, it was fun seeing it all come together," Maria continued, thinking back to how a friend of hers who worked at the local theater in town was able to provide the group with costumes and how her father, Carlos, had helped them find someone to teach the group an authentic Italian dance of the period. Carlos and her mother, Anita, had always loved to dance together and had even competed in some local competitions, so he knew a lot of people with varied dance skills and knowledge.

* * *

_Maria and Carlos stood off to the side as they watched Carlos's friend, Francesca, try to teach the group of teenagers a dance. _

"_Now, skip toward the center, one-two-three, knee lift…skip back, one-two-three, rotate the circle three places, now move toward the center again…"_

"_Oh my…the boys do not look the least bit happy to be doing this," Maria remarked, looking worriedly at her father._

"_That's because it is…how do they put it these days…uncool for them to like it," Carlos replied, humor in his voice._

_They watched as Chad nearly tripped over his own feet, Jason just stood still looking confused, Troy mouthed the word "skip" disbelievingly, and Zeke chose to be overdramatic in his movements, dragging an irritated Sharpay along with him._

"_Do you think they'll get this before the event next week?" Maria asked skeptically. Due to everyone's busy schedules, they hadn't been able to arrange a time to learn this dance from Francesca until now. _

"_Yeah…they'll get it," Carlos said with a confident grin. "But they are probably going to mess up and step all over each other a whole lot before they do," he finished with a quiet chuckle._

* * *

Maria thought of her father fondly and how much he had always enjoyed being such an active part in his granddaughter's life. Following the dance rehearsal memory, she thought of another rehearsal she had been privy to…

* * *

"_O, then, dear saint, let lips do what hands do; they pray, grant thou, lest faith turn to despair._

"_Saints do not move, though grant for prayers' sake."_

"_Then move not, while my prayer's effect I take. Thus from my lips, by yours, my sin is purged._

"_Then have my lips the sin that they have took."_

"_Sin from thy lips? O trespass sweetly urged! Give me my sin again."_

"_Ahem," she said, entering the room fully and watching her daughter and her boyfriend pull apart abruptly, crimson blushes painting their cheeks. "I think you two have got that part down."_

"_Um…yeah…maybe that's enough rehearsing for tonight," Troy said, clearly embarrassed. "I guess I should probably head home soon anyway."_

"_Not so fast, Troy," Maria said, humor twinkling in her eyes. "You haven't picked out your costume yet. There are still several options left but the other guys have all chosen. Come to the den and take a look."_

_Troy looked like he wanted to sink into the ground in that very moment. "Um…okay," he said quietly. Gabriella sent him a small smile and laced her hand with his, following her mother toward the den. He saw a portable clothing rack with various colorful items hanging from it. _

"_Now, basically, you just need to pick out your tunic, your leggings or tights, and your hat. The tunics all look to be about the right size for you…the one you wear should go down to somewhere between your mid-thigh and your knee…so the tights won't be as…revealing as you may have feared."_

"_Mother," Gabriella growled._

_Troy's face was now more red than it had been minutes before in Gabriella's room when Maria walked in. _

"_Um…okay…I'll just go try some stuff on in the bathroom," he said, grabbing a few pairings and heading in that direction. He came out several minutes later, handing a tunic, a pair of leggings, and a hat to Maria. "I'll wear these."_

"_Wait…I don't get to see you in them?" Gabriella asked, a bit disappointed. _

"_Not until next Friday," Troy said grimly. _

_..._

_That following Friday, Troy stood waiting for Gabriella. They had both gone to change but it was naturally taking her longer, and Troy was not in the mood to be standing outside the locker rooms in his get-up. He was just glad most everyone was already in the gym, exploring all the booths. All of a sudden, he heard someone whistling at him. Turning, he meant to glare at whoever it was, but immediately forgot about doing so when he eyed his beautiful girlfriend, wearing a low-cut, cleavage enhancing golden gown, with her long curls partially pulled up away from her face and partially hanging down over her shoulders. "You look beautiful, Ella."_

"_And you, hot stuff, know how to work those tights."_

"_Oh, you're hilarious."_

"_No, really, Troy…great legs," she said with a victorious smirk. _

_Troy just rolled his eyes. "Let's get this over with, shall we?" he said, holding his arm out for her to take so he could lead her into the gym. _

"_Troy…I love you."_

"_You better."_

_The dance, the performances, and the costumes had been a roaring success. Their group had taken first place for the day and the girls were tickled pink. Even the guys felt at least good that if they had done this, they at least came out of it winners. It somehow felt a little more manly that way. _

* * *

"Hmmm…what else is in here?" said Sharpay, with an evil grin, reaching into the box to grab another handful of photos.

"Food's almost ready! Come and get it!" Chad yelled in from the back door.

"Ah! Saved by the Chad," Troy remarked, a relieved grin on his face as he turned to head toward the deck. The women all laughed and put the photos back in the box, deciding to maybe look at them more later. They headed out of the room in the direction Troy had just headed, eager to fill their stomachs and to fill in their significant others on the memories they'd just been reliving.

* * *

While everyone was still congregating out on the deck finishing up their food, Troy asked Gabriella if she could help him figure out where certain items of his should go. She happily agreed and followed him inside. Once inside the kitchen, Troy pulled Gabriella to him and kissed her briefly.

"What was that for?"

Troy just grinned and grabbed her hand, pulling her into the living room, where he proceeded to kiss her much more soundly.

Standing breathless, Gabriella just stared back at Troy, lips parted, eyes glazed. A satisfied smirk lit his face, as he pulled her toward the guest room and kissed her again.

This time when he pulled away and went to pull them back out of the room, Gabriella tugged back. "Wait. Not that I'm complaining or anything, but what are you doing?" Gabriella asked with a laugh.

"Christening," Troy answered shortly, tugging on her arm and leading them to the bathroom.

"What do you mean, christening?" Gabriella asked after their next kiss.

"Isn't it obvious? I'm kissing you in every room of our new home…well, I mean, it's not new…but it being ours is."

Gabriella's lips twitched with amusement. This time, she pulled on Troy's arm and led them across the hall to the laundry room, where she initiated their next liplock, before pulling him next door to the room that served as an office and claiming his mouth again.

Laughing giddily, they ran hand in hand back to their bedroom, lips already tingling and swollen, but perfectly willing to make them even more so. As they leaned their foreheads together trying to catch their breath following another steamy kiss, Gabriella looked back into Troy's eyes with amusement in her own. "Troy, isn't christening a house supposed to involve more than just _kissing_ in every room?" she asked huskily, letting her hand drift down and ghost over the zipper on his jeans, teasingly.

Troy gazed lustfully at her. "Yes, but Ella, we can't exactly do that kind of christening while our family and friends are here," he said in a low voice.

"Oh, that's right. They're all still here, huh? I had somehow forgotten about their presence," Gabriella responded in a teasing tone.

"Yes, well, much as I'd like to, I can't forget they're here…and getting interrupted by them would be ever so much worse than getting interrupted by your neighbor."

"She's your neighbor now too, Troy."

"Thanks for reminding me," he replied sarcastically.

"Well, how about we continue these christening efforts later…no family, no friends, no Barbara…unless you're into that kind of thing," she joked, earning an eye roll from Troy.

"Nah…you're more than enough for me, Montez. Later then," he finished placing a soft kiss on her lips. And, with that, they made their way back out to the deck to rejoin the gang.

* * *

After dinner, Maria offered to help Gabriella to clean up in the kitchen while the rest of the gang went back to unpacking in the living room and other rooms.

As they stood there, Gabriella washing dishes and Maria drying, Maria studied her daughter. She looked happier than she had seen her in a long time. She had a glow about her. It warmed her heart to see her only daughter looking so content.

"Thanks for letting your old mom crash your moving festivities today?"

"Don't be silly, mom…no crashing involved. We wanted you here. Thank you for helping with the grunt work."

"I'm happy to do it, honey."

Gabriella's face took on a serious expression. "Mom, do you think Troy knows how serious I am about us this time? How much I love him?"

"Yes, honey."

"Oh, no…maybe he knows too well…maybe I'm being too serious too soon and I'll scare him off for seeming needy."

Maria let out a soft laugh. "Gabi, sweetheart, now you're being silly. That man loves you…he always has and I suspect he always will. He's seen you at your best and worst through the years and he has not been scared away yet. Why all the worry?"

"Because mom, he means more to me than anyone else ever has and I really don't want to mess this up. I want it to last."

"And, it can. He's not your father, Gabi. He's a good man and he's not going anywhere," Maria assured. "I'm really glad you guys have been able to find happiness with each other again. You know I have always thought highly of Troy and you know your grandfather did too, sweetie."

"I know, mom," Gabriella replied softly, thinking of her grandfather.

Maria wrapped an arm around Gabriella's shoulders and pulled her into her side, placing a kiss on top of her head. "Baby girl, you have grown into a beautiful, intelligent, caring young woman. I love you so much. And so does Troy. Now, just trust that love. Live in it. Enjoy it. It won't let you down, Gabi."

Gabriella sniffled, eyes watering at her mother's beautiful words. She pulled her hands out of the soapy water and dried them quickly on a hand towel before wrapping her arms around her mother's neck and hugging her tightly. "I love you too, mom! Thank you!"

Pulling back from the hug, Gabriella wiped at her eyes and watched as Maria did the same before they broke into a shared laugh at their similar actions. Gabriella smiled and turned back to the dishes and Maria did the same.

"So, are you heading off to Max's place when you leave here?"

"Gabi!"

"What mom? You've gotten to talk plenty about Troy and I today."

Maria blushed, thinking of the man she'd been dating for the past several months. They had really hit it off from the start and she was glad he and Gabriella got along well too. "Yes, but…well, there's more to talk about there."

"If you say so, mom," Gabriella teased. "But just know…I'm happy for you too."

"Thanks, sweetheart. That means a lot," she replied quietly, her heart swelling once again with joy at the thought that she and her daughter might both have found a lasting love.

* * *

After a while, they finished up the dishes and joined the rest of the gang in the living room. Everyone was sprawled out on the floor or the furniture, looking weary. "We're beat, Gabs, don't make us work anymore," Chad pleaded.

"Yeah…what he said," Troy added, with amusement.

Gabriella chuckled at all of their pitiful faces. "Fine. Hey…if you guys want, we could just relax and watch a movie."

"That sounds like a great plan," Jason said enthusiastically.

Everyone else added in their agreement. "So, what shall we watch?" Troy asked.

"Oh…I know we're the old folks here, so you might not like this idea, but Jack and I saw Top Gun on the shelf in the guest room and I remember we loved that movie back when we saw it in theaters when it first came out," Lucille suggested.

"Cool. Top Gun is awesome," Jason agreed.

"Yeah, it is! Hot, sweaty volleyball scene!" Sharpay added, earning squeals from Taylor and Kelsi, a laugh from Maria, and groans from Chad, Zeke, and Jack.

"Great! I can go grab it," Lucille said, heading toward the guest room and quickly returning and handing it to Jason who was closest to the entertainment center and started the movie playing while everyone else settled in to their respective spots in the living room.

No one seemed to have noticed the silence of their two hosts or the crimson that had crept up onto both of their faces. As they watched everyone else get settled, they just looked at each other helplessly and shrugged before taking their place on the floor toward the back of the room. As "Take My Breath Away" started drifting through the sound system, Gabriella just turned and buried her head into Troy's chest. Troy just held her to him, placing a kiss in her hair before leaning down to whisper in her ear, "a bit different than the last time we watched this together, huh?" Troy watched her shoulders begin to shake in silent laughter. "Well, this does really make me want them all to leave so we can get back to christening," he continued. As Gabriella's amusement subsided, she pulled herself together and leaned her head back, looking up at Troy with a bright smile and a promise in her eyes of what he could expect later.

* * *

**Later…**

"Hey babe…I'm gonna go give Chad's truck one final look to make sure we got everything out of it. I'll be right back in."

"Okay. Sounds like a good idea," Gabriella replied with a small smile. As Troy headed out the front door, Gabriella made her way into the kitchen, carrying a few empty glasses in and sitting them in the sink. Catching a glimpse of the moon through the screen door, Gabriella moved to open it and walk out onto the deck. As she stood there, leaning against the railing, gazing up at the bright moon above, she heard the sound of Chad's truck starting up, and, soon after, driving off. They had said goodbye to everyone and Taylor and Chad were the last to be pulling out of the driveway. She let her gaze drop to the dark water of the lake. Closing her eyes, she listened, hearing its gentle lapping against the shore and a light breeze rustling through the surrounding trees. She breathed in the night air and waited.

Within minutes, she heard the screen door open and shut behind her and heard Troy's footsteps on the deck. Soon after, she felt his arms slide around her waist and his body take its place behind hers. And then she felt his warm breath on her ear.

"A penny for your thoughts."

"Just a penny? I'd think my thoughts would be worth at least a quarter," she teased softly, causing Troy to grin.

"Fine. I'm sure I can rustle up a quarter somewhere."

Gabriella smiled. "Well," she began, "I was just thinking…about how happy I am. If someone had told me at the beginning of the year that we'd be here like this now, I would have been hard pressed to believe it, but here we are. And I'm just…relishing it."

Troy leaned down and pressed a kiss to her shoulder. "Me too," he responded softly, breathing in her scent mixed with that of the night air.

Gabriella heard Troy sigh contentedly before she felt his lips begin to move along her skin. She leaned back into him as he continued to place languorous kisses along her neck, sending her pulse racing. As he reached her jaw, her lips parted in anticipation. She slowly turned her head toward him until she was rewarded with the moist joining of his mouth with hers. As his tongue sought her own, his hands sought to turn her around so that her back was now to the railing, the front of her body pressed to his.

As their kiss intensified, Troy felt Gabriella's heaving chest pressed to his own, her hands restlessly running through his hair and clutching at his back and shoulders. He could feel her urgency and her need for him. She was expressing it in every exploration of her tongue, in every pull of his body even closer to hers, and in every little moan that was escaping from her mouth into his own. He felt his own arousal and need for her building with every second. Pulling her hips tightly to his own, he let her know just how turned on he was feeling.

Gabriella felt another low moan escape her throat at the pressure of Troy's pelvis rubbing against her own. As his fingers ran up from her buttocks and beneath her tank to slide up her back, she broke their kiss, her breath raspy as her glazed over eyes rose to meet with his. His face glowed in the moonlight, his eyes two dark pools of blue.

"Should we go inside?" was the question that came from his mouth in the next second, floating on a ragged breath.

"No," was her breathless answer before she slid her hands down over his chest and moved him back slightly, creating enough space so that she could continue to slide her hands down to the hem of his t-shirt. Holding his gaze, she lifted the shirt from his skin and pulled it up over his head, carelessly draping it over the railing. She felt her own body continue to stir underneath the heat of Troy's stare as he watched her do this. As her hands moved to unbuckle his belt, she gasped, feeling his lips descend on the sweet spots of her neck once more. Fighting for concentration, she managed to complete her task and to unfasten his jeans.

Troy let her see to the fastenings on his jeans before pulling away from her long enough to lift her tank top up over her head and toss it onto a deck chair. He then brought his lips down to the milky skin of her breasts, still contained by the thin satin of her bra. His hands moved up her back to remedy this situation, swiftly undoing the clasp. His head retreated briefly to pull the material free of her before descending once more to the smooth skin he was itching to pay detailed tongue service to.

Gabriella couldn't help but gasp as she felt the bra being pulled away from her nipples, exposing them to the cool night air. They instantly puckered and hardened with the sensation. She didn't have long to contemplate the chilly feeling as those sensitive nubs were quickly engulfed, one in Troy's hot, wet mouth, tongue flicking back and forth teasingly, the other in his eager fingers...the combination causing her to squirm with pleasure. It was at moments like this when Gabriella was extremely glad she didn't live in suburban America with neighbors right next to each other, peeking into each others' yards regularly. Her nearest neighbors were through a quarter mile of trees on either side. 'Bless you, Grandpa!' she thought, followed by 'Ohhhh…this is not the time to be thinking about Grandpa, Gabriella…'

In between her squirms, Gabriella gripped at Troy's muscular shoulders and buried her hands in his hair, feeling rather helpless to do much else. In her haze of pleasure, she vaguely sensed her shorts were being pushed down over her hips until they pooled on the floor at her feet. Wanting to taste him again, Gabriella massaged Troy's earlobes with her fingers and gently urged his head back up to hers so she could capture his lips and plunge her tongue into his mouth, showing him once more all the passion she was feeling in that moment. Her fingers ran down his back and around to his nipples, which she drew circles around and lightly pinched. She soon moved her mouth to his neck and then his chest, pausing to flick her tongue alternately across each nipple and suck each one roughly into her mouth so he too could experience the cold/hot sensations he'd given her. She didn't linger long knowing her mouth had an even more exciting agenda ahead.

Grabbing the waistband of Troy's jeans, she led him over to one of the chaise lounges nearby. She sat down on it and pulled him so that he was standing in front of her. She then proceeded to finally pull the jeans down and off his legs, revealing Troy's impressive bulge straining against his boxer briefs. A lusty smile lit up Gabriella's face as she slid her fingers beneath the band and slowly, teasingly, eased his boxers down, revealing his hard, throbbing member just inches from her eager mouth. With anticipation, he stepped out of his boxers and watched as she dropped them on top of his jeans off to the side.

Troy's sharp intake of breath as her right hand grasped him firmly was music to her ears. The silky feel of his penis as she began to stroke it, at first lightly and then with increasing speed and pressure, was, as always, such a turn on. Troy held either side of her head entangling his fingers in her hair as she slowed her hand motions and began to teasingly flick her tongue out to touch the head of his very engorged member. The fingers of her left hand began to stroke his balls and that sensitive spot behind them. He gasped as he abruptly found himself engulfed in his girlfriend's hot mouth. He looked down to see her lips moving up and down his length and felt the cool air graze him as they retreated toward the head and then felt the instant warmth again as he watched the entirety of his hardness disappear into her mouth. Never tiring of this most erotic of all sights, he continued to gaze lovingly down at his girlfriend's head bobbing up and down as she greedily sucked.

Hearing Troy's low, guttural groans spurred Gabriella on to continue her lusty attentions to her second favorite part of Troy's body (those gorgeous baby blues being the first). As she felt the head of his member hit the back of her throat again, she reached around and grabbed his tensed ass cheeks, massaging them and just enjoying the effect she could always have on her sexy boyfriend.

Troy could feel himself getting close to a brink he wasn't ready to cross just yet, so, with much will, he eased his girlfriend's head back and leaned down and kissed her soundly. Then, he knelt down in front of her and reached out to slide her panties down her legs, the one remaining piece of clothing she still had on. Gabriella shivered with anticipation. He grinned up at her cockily before gently lifting her left leg and beginning to trail kisses up her calf and then along her inner thigh. He repeated this with her right leg, teasing her a bit. Gabriella eased back onto the chaise, enjoying every sensation. She didn't have to wait long before she felt Troy's warm breath whispering over the most sensitive skin on her body. She gripped the sides of the lounge chair hard and let out a gasp as his tongue made contact with her clit and then ran along the length of her swollen lips before plunging into her warmth. His tongue pumped in and out of her repeatedly, then flicked over and around her clit as he replaced his tongue's pumping action with first one, then eventually two and then three fingers swiftly stroking her insides and pumping in and out with increasing speed until he heard her increased cries and felt her shudder.

Gabriella lost herself to the delicious feeling of her skilled boyfriend bringing her to her first orgasm of the evening. With the wind blowing across every inch of her body as her pleasure was building to a climax, some small part of her brain that was still functioning registered that this evening would never be forgotten.

Troy drew away and climbed up onto the lounge to join his girlfriend, knowing he needed to be inside of her now. Gabriella felt the same urgency and pulled him down to her, wrapping her legs around him. Their lips met and his mouth swallowed her scream as he plunged himself deeply into her in one swift motion. She arched her back and pushed her hips up to meet each thrust as they began the familiar rhythm, Troy pumping in and out of her wetness with animal instinct, Gabriella clawing at his shoulders and his back and using her legs to try to pull him further and further into her.

Troy looked down at his beautiful Ella, her lips parted as her cries of pleasure escaped them every few seconds, her eyes glazed and half shut, her breasts jiggling with each thrust...he knew he was close...he knew she was close to yet another climax too.

Pressing their bodies close together, he kissed her briefly before he began to rock his hips with more force and thrust into her more roughly and swiftly. Gabriella cried out with pleasure with every stroke and wanting to go over the edge with him, she gasped out "Troy" a few times before she was able to complete her request..."Troy, come...with...me!" Her final urging was all it took and as he saw her throw her head back and felt her walls close around him, he let himself go and felt his seed shoot through his length and into the warm waiting depths of his girlfriend's rapturous body. He jerked with each pleasurable spasm as he emptied himself in her and then collapsed on top of her hearing the rasping of each of them as they tried to catch their breath.

After several long moments, he pulled out of her and moved to lie down beside her, pulling the blanket that had been draped on the back of the chaise lounge over them. Gabriella smiled up at him as he wrapped his arms around her lovingly, his eyes locking on hers for a moment before he leaned in and placed a sweet kiss to her forehead. Pulling back, he turned his face toward the sky and Gabriella followed his gaze. They looked up at the stars and the moon, the only witnesses to the pleasure they had just brought each other. Troy smirked. "And to think I was once content with just kissing you under the stars," he said with a husky laugh, looking back at his girlfriend's happy face.

Gabriella giggled. "Well, I guess we can consider the deck officially christened."

The smile on Troy's face widened. "Yes. That we can. I can't believe I didn't mention it earlier. And, come to think of it," he continued slyly, "I forgot about the dock, the lake, the shed…"

"The front porch?" Gabriella chimed in playfully.

"Uh huh, and the cars on _our_ driveway, perhaps the roof…"

Gabriella's soft laughter reached Troy's ears. "Whoa, studly," she teased. "You aren't planning on accomplishing this entire christening effort tonight, are you?"

"Of course not," Troy scoffed. "I have no desire to end up in the hospital."

Gabriella rolled her eyes.

"Perhaps we can alternate our efforts between the inside and outside areas of the house," Troy continued, feigning a serious planner's attitude. "I vote inside tomorrow as I am fairly certain a mosquito was busy feasting on my backside while I was otherwise occupied a few minutes ago."

This sent his girlfriend into a fit of giggles. When they subsided, she continued on with his little game. "Yes, inside tomorrow could work. Maybe we should create a detailed schedule…"

"Or maybe I should just come start kissing you again and see where we happen to be. That seemed to work fine tonight."

"Yes…it definitely did."

Troy yawned, suddenly feeling quite weary. This caused Gabriella to yawn in turn, creating quiet between them once more. A few moments later, Gabriella broke the silence.

"Should we go inside?" she said softly, asking the question Troy had asked her not too long ago.

Troy smiled softly back at her, pulled the blanket up around them more tightly and placed a light kiss on her lips. "No," he responded quietly, echoing her earlier answer and seeing the silent agreement on her face before she nestled her head into his neck and snuggled her body further into his. The last thing he heard before drifting off to sleep was his girlfriend's contented sigh and the sound of the water gently lapping against the shore and the dock in the distance.

* * *

**AUTHOR'S NOTE:** Sigh! Hope you enjoyed this! I have to say that I am completely in a sappy, girly mood tonight, having listened to my newly purchased HSM 3 song, "Can I Have This Dance?" Do tell me you've heard it...if not, beware...it'll melt you into a big pile of putty...it may also bring tears to your eyes...hence, my Troy walking into the room and hearing it playing for the 8th time and seeing the wetness of my eyes and my hand held over my heart and me "aww"-ing, to which he remarked "you are such a girl." :-) Have a lovely morning/afternoon/evening and do review if you feel so inclined. Thanks!


	24. My One and Only Duck

**Looking Back to Move Forward  
**

SUMMARY: Troy and Gabriella have been friends for 11 years, best friends. They've even been more, but circumstances years ago led them to end their romance and revert back to just being friends. But will one special weekend of reminiscing about their lives and the memories they've shared remind them of the one thing that they're both missing? M for adult situations/subject matter and sexual references/depictions.

DISCLAIMER: I do not own these wonderful characters (or any part of the HSM franchise)...I just love them like the rest of you. :-) I also don't own any other movies, actors, or eating establishments mentioned within. Pity that... ;-)

**AUTHOR'S NOTE:** Wow, everyone! Just wow! Your reviews have been so sweet and have left me a bit blush-y and wishing I could be independently wealthy such that I could quit my job and just write Fan Fiction instead. LOL! But, since that's not really an option, I shall do my best to keep writing as I have a chance. :-) But, just, thank you! Thank you so much for appreciating this story and for letting me know that you do!

* * *

Chapter 24 – My One and Only Duck

**  
Four months later…**

"Where are we going?" Troy asked for the third time since they'd left the restaurant.

"You'll see."

"Very helpful, Ella," he deadpanned.

"I'm not supposed to be helpful, Troy. It's called a surprise. Ever heard of the concept?"

"Yes, I've heard of it. I just…"

"Have no patience?" Gabriella cut in playfully.

Knowing she was right, Troy grinned sheepishly at her. "Fine, I'll wait."

"Good."

"Will I like it though?"

Gabriella laughed. "Troy, first, that's insulting. Have I ever done anything for your birthday that you didn't like?" She glanced over to see Troy shaking his head back and forth before uttering one word begrudgingly. "No."

"And, second, did you turn 26 today or just 6? Maybe I should've taken you to Chuck E. Cheese for dinner instead of Ruth's Chris Steakhouse," she teased.

"Nah. If we'd done that, you'd still be there singing along with the shows and trying to decide which stuffed animal to trade in your tickets for," Troy teased right back, earning a slight frown from his girlfriend.

"Don't make me smack you on your birthday," she warned, making Troy laugh at how cute she looked even with her face scrunched up with annoyance.

"That would make you an awful girlfriend."

"You'd forgive me."

"Oh, would I now?"

"Yes. I can be very convincing," she said, placing one hand on his upper thigh and glancing sideways with a smirk.

Looking down at her hand and then seeing the gleam in her eyes as she glanced at him, Troy momentarily forgot what they'd been talking about.

Gabriella noticed the silence that followed and smiled to herself. 'Guys…so easy sometimes,' she thought. Seeing her destination a few moments later, she removed her hand so she could focus on turning into the parking lot, effectively snapping Troy out of his brief trance.

His eyebrows and his forehead creased as he looked at their surroundings. "The mall, Ella? Are you sure you haven't gotten my birthday confused with yours or say Shar's?" he asked incredulously.

"No, silly," she replied with a grin. "Come on," she urged him, turning off the car and opening her door to exit the car.

Troy slowly followed, not at all sure why they'd be here of all places. As they approached one of the mall entrances, Troy contemplated the name of the mall. "North Star Mall? Have we ever come here before? It's a little out of the way, isn't it?"

"I'm guessing you haven't been here given your question. We haven't been here together before. I've come a time or two with the girls. But shopping's not the main attraction," she said cryptically, entering through the automatic doors and walking briskly through the department store. Troy continued to eye her suspiciously, picking up his pace to keep up with her. As they exited the other side of the store and entered the main mall, Gabriella reached out her hand and linked it with his. "Come on," she said excitedly, tugging him forward down the mall arm they were currently in and toward what he presumed was the center, but there were so many people around he couldn't see very far in front of him.

All of a sudden, Gabriella pulled him into a men's clothing store off to their right. She walked over to the section containing socks and started rifling through them. "Thought we'd buy you some more. The dryer tends to eat them," she tossed over her shoulder nonchalantly.

Troy was feeling confused and irritated. "Socks? No, really, socks! That's why we're here?"

Gabriella smirked at him, then bust out laughing, putting the socks she'd been holding back and grabbing his hand again, rushing them back out of the store. "No. But it was really fun making you think that," she said jovially as they continued on through the crowd toward the center of the mall.

Troy frowned at her, exasperated. "Not funny."

"Oh, but it was," she teased. "Seriously though, Troy…this is why we're here," she continued softly as they reached the center of the mall and the people in front of them shuffled off toward another arm of the mall, finally clearing the view in front of them. He looked over and saw his girlfriend's smiling face. Then, he looked back in front of him and a large smile spread swiftly across his own.

"No way!"

"Way," she replied, amused.

"In a mall?"

"Yeah, different I know. So, what do you think?"

"I think…we're going to have fun…and potentially make fools of ourselves," he said with a laugh. "But what made you think of this?"

"Well, I was just looking through our scrapbook again last week and at the Madison Gardens layout and it occurred to me that we never have actually tried to ice skate for real. We could have gone back there and done our fake skating, but I thought this might be safer," she finished with a grin.

Troy's eyes sparkled a bit and his smile became softer as he thought about that long ago impromptu pond adventure they'd had. "You're right, Ella. This was a great idea."

Gabriella gave him a satisfied smile.

"Okay, okay. I'm a pain. I should've trusted you'd know me well enough to know sock-shopping wasn't one of my favorite birthday activities."

"That's okay, babe. We can sock-shop for Valentine's Day," she teased, earning a mock glare from Troy before they both turned and started walking closer to the ice rink.

Swiftly locating the skate rental booth, they got skates and headed over to a bench next to the rink to put them on. Having laced them up, they both looked at each other uncertainly.

"This may not be pretty, Montez. Remember not to make fun of me too much. It is my birthday, after all," Troy joked.

"Like I'm gonna stand up and be all graceful in these things," Gabriella scoffed. "I'm just going to attempt not to get any long-lasting injuries," she finished with a smile.

"Okay, you ready to do this?" Troy asked, after chuckling at her last statement.

"Guess so," Gabriella responded chipperly.

And, with that, Troy took her hand in his and slowly stood up. He had a sense for how this should be done. He'd always watched Chad's games in college. He just had never gotten around to trying to ice skate himself. Feeling somewhat steady, he looked down at Gabriella who was doing her best to get used to the new feel of standing in the skates. They very carefully walked over to the wall at the edge of the rink and looked out at the other couples and groups skating in front of them. Luckily, the rink itself wasn't too crowded.

Eyeing a nearby entrance onto the ice, Troy motioned toward it with his head and they made their way over to it, making sure the spot in front of it was clear before stepping gingerly onto the ice, while still holding onto the wall. Laughing at themselves, they worked to get the feel of the ice such that they could begin to glide a bit, their arms comically stretched out to help them maintain their balance. A tumble and a stumble or two (or ten!) later, following quite a few bouts of laughter and giggling, the two held hands and glided around the rink fairly smoothly. Troy squeezed Gabriella's hand and she looked over to see him smiling down at her.

After taking another curve, he led them toward the center of the rink where they slowed to a stop and looked up. The mall had a huge glass skylight at its center, which happened to be directly above the rink. They wrapped their arms around each other's waists as they tilted their heads back and looked at the array of twinkling stars in the night sky above.

"Still that outdoor feel, but with people here to make sure we don't fall through the ice or otherwise hurt ourselves," Gabriella said with a grin.

"True," Troy remarked thoughtfully, "but that ice cracking incident ended very well for us, Ella."

"It did," Gabriella conceded lightly. "But I have a feeling this ice experience is going to end even better for us," she whispered flirtily.

"And, why is that?" Troy whispered back, the grin on his own face growing wider.

"Because, this time, we get to go home together. Plus, tonight, I'm not just going to tell you I love you…I intend to show you," she replied huskily.

"Mmmm…yeah, I think tonight will win then," Troy responded, also in a husky tone, before leaning down and pulling her lips into a loving kiss. Pulling back after a few moments, he spoke again. "But, just for old times sake…I love you, Ella," he said sincerely.

"I love you too, Troy. Happy Birthday!"

"Thank you. I just feel blessed to get to start another year with you."

"Ditto," Gabriella replied with a soft smile, leaning up to press her lips to his once more.

"Oh, geez you two!"

"Yeah! Either skate or get a room!"

Troy and Gabriella's kiss stopped abruptly as they turned to see their friends smirking at them. Chad and Taylor were looking on at them knowingly and Sharpay and Zeke were smirking in their direction. They caught sight of Kelsi and Jason skating slowly toward the group in the center of the rink as well.

"What are you guys doing here? I didn't think I got to see you all until our group dinner tomorrow night," Troy inquired.

"Exactly!" Kelsi said perkily, having come to a stop next to Gabriella.

"You're a thick one, Bolton. Need us to spell it out for you?" Sharpay taunted.

"Sharpay, play nice," Gabriella scolded, causing Troy to grin.

"Yeah, Shar. It's my birthday. You have to be nice."

"You're right, Bolton. I should be nice to my elders," Sharpay shot back with a smirk, earning a frown from the birthday boy.

"I so shouldn't have told them my plan, should I?" Gabriella said softly to Troy, giving him her best apologetic smile.

"Like you could keep it from us, Gabs!" Chad chimed in. "Besides, I had to be here to finally see Bolton on the ice," he continued, clapping his friend on the back cheerfully.

"Yeah, well, at least you weren't here when we were just attempting to stand in these things," Troy put in, chuckling at the thought.

"Who says we weren't?" Zeke asked, a sly grin on his face.

"What?" Gabriella and Troy both asked nervously.

"Pshhh…just yankin' your chain. We only just got here a few minutes ago," Zeke assured, after having a laugh at their expense.

"So, Troy, Gabs hasn't had you doing any girly figure skating moves, has she?" Jason asked teasingly, receiving a brisk shaking of Troy's head back and forth as his response.

"Why does everyone think I'm so girly?" Gabriella asked exasperatedly.

Everyone looked at her pointedly.

"But I…" she began to defend.

"Yes, you have a blue belt and perhaps you could kick all our butts, but you're still our chick-flick loving, romance novel-reading, pretty in pink and lavender, chocolate craving, cries at sappy commercials, very girly friend," Taylor explained.

Gabriella just stood there staring back at her friend with her mouth open, until Troy reached out a finger beneath her chin and gently closed it, leaning in to place a soft kiss on her cheek before whispering in her ear. "I love how girly you are."

Gabriella couldn't help the small smile that formed once more on her face. Troy was very good at placating her and she also knew that Taylor hadn't said anything that wasn't true. "Fine," she conceded. "I'm girly…but no, I haven't been forcing figure skating moves on Troy. Would you guys like to get out sticks and go all Mighty Ducks for a while so you can feel all manly?" she finished in a sarcastic tone, glancing at Jason, then Chad, then Zeke.

"Don't mess with Mighty Ducks, Gabs," Chad warned.

"Now, why would I do that, Chad?" she responded sweetly. "It brought us Josh Jackson. It's a fabulous trilogy."

The girls all nodded their agreement at this statement, earning eye rolls from the guys.

"Hey! Shouldn't there be some rule about you not mooning about other guys at least on this one day of the year that should be all about me?" Troy teased, feigning indignance.

"Oh…baby…you know you're my one and only…er…duck," Gabriella said with a laugh.

Troy responded by swiftly reaching out his hands to begin tickling her sides.

"Stop, Troy! I'll fall!" she protested, gripping onto his arms to both get him to stop and to help keep her balance.

"Ahem! Friends still here," Jason exclaimed.

"Yeah, come on, Bolton. Race you to the far end of the rink," Chad challenged eagerly. Zeke and Jason got into position, ready to take up the challenge as well. The girls looked around to see that pretty much everyone else had cleared off the ice as it was getting later and the mall would only be open for another half hour.

Troy's face lit up with a grin. How could he resist the challenge? Releasing Gabriella's waist, he gave her a quick peck on the lips and hunched down, ready to do his best in this race.

"Oh, geez! Let the testosterone-fest begin," Taylor remarked sardonically.

"Ready…1…2…3…go!" Chad yelled enthusiastically, as all four guys took off toward the other end of the rink.

The girls just stood there, watching them and shaking their heads at their antics. "Some things never change," Kelsi remarked.

"Yeah…but would we want them to?" Gabriella asked with a happy smile.

"Nah," the other ladies agreed, with their own smiles, as they watched Chad rubbing in his win to the other guys, before being challenged into a rematch.

* * *

Half an hour later, they all exited the mall and entered the chilly night air again. Everyone wished Troy a happy birthday once more and promised to still see him tomorrow for the dinner they had planned to have together, before heading off to their respective cars.

Once in their own car, Gabriella turned her key in the ignition, starting the car. "Have fun tonight?" she asked softly, looking to her side at Troy.

"Are you kidding me? It was a great night! Thanks, Ella!" Troy said, leaning over, placing his hand on her cheek and pulling her in for a lingering 'thank you' kiss.

"Good…I'm glad," Gabriella replied as they pulled back.

"And, thank you again for the new video games and that new drill I've been wanting."

"You're very welcome," she responded, putting the car into gear and backing out of the parking space.

As they got back on the road again, Troy just stared at her contentedly for some time, feeling very lucky on this particular birthday. As they eventually approached their driveway, Troy couldn't resist reminding Gabriella of their earlier conversation.

"So, you still had one more present in store for me, right? Something about showing me you love me…"

The corners of Gabriella's lips twitched, hearing this. She pulled the car to a stop and shut off the engine. Turning toward Troy, she grinned at him mischievously, cocking her head toward the car door before exiting from the driver's side, leaving Troy to follow suit from the passenger side. Coming around the front of the car, she met up with him and gripped his coat, pulling him toward her and into a steamy kiss. Reluctantly pulling back, she looked him in the eyes, seeing her passionate feelings mirrored there. "Come on. It's cold out here. It'll be much warmer inside," she said meaningfully, taking his hand and starting toward the steps. Troy's pulse started to quicken as he followed her toward their front door. He marveled at this…how easily he responded to her. He felt grateful for it…grateful that she was in his life, in general. As he was about to begin a new year of his life, he couldn't ask for anything more. He was having a wonderful birthday…and he knew the best present was yet to come…

* * *

**AUTHOR'S NOTE:** So, yes...back to the fade to black...I know, I know...but this allows you to use your wonderful imaginations to fill in the rest of their evening in your own mind. ;-) Perhaps more M next chapter... Well, hope you enjoyed this chapter. If anyone would like any type of visual to go with it, may I suggest searching for 'Zac Efron in NYC' on You Tube...an oldie but a goodie. :-) Thanks all for your patience as it's taking a bit more time between chapters now, and thanks again for your awesome reviews! Toodles!


	25. Everything

**Looking Back to Move Forward  
**

SUMMARY: Troy and Gabriella have been friends for 11 years, best friends. They've even been more, but circumstances years ago led them to end their romance and revert back to just being friends. But will one special weekend of reminiscing about their lives and the memories they've shared remind them of the one thing that they're both missing? **M** for adult situations/subject matter and sexual references/depictions.

DISCLAIMER: I do not own these wonderful characters (or any part of the HSM franchise)...I just love them like the rest of you. :-)

**AUTHOR'S NOTE:** Well, okay...I was planning to reply to all of your lovely reviews, but then I figured you would probably rather just see this chapter posted with less delay. :-D So, here it is. I hope and pretty much believe it will make up for the wait and will prove as a nice thank you to all of you, as your readership and reviews do just put the biggest smile on my face. ;-) And, finally, I just have to say that it might have taken less time but I had a lovely reason for not getting this done sooner. My Troy and some friends surprised me with a very fun, long weekend at an awesome lakehouse for my birthday. So, yeah, it's probably pretty clear to everyone that that is an environment I love a lot. :-)

Okay, read on...just a heads up though...this is the longest chapter I've posted, but I hope you'll get to reading it and want to continue to read it...I think it's worth it. ;-) Also, if you don't recall chapter 3 clearly, you might find it helpful to review it as a 'previously' for this chapter...the beginning of chapter 14 might help too. Enjoy!

* * *

Chapter 25 – Everything

**Four more months later…**

Troy pulled up to the marina for the second time that day. Of course, as far as Gabriella knew, he'd been helping Chad figure out some new entertainment system that morning. He'd just told her that he planned to have a date day with her and that he'd take care of everything. She just had to be ready to leave by noon.

He looked over at her and smiled. These past ten months had been beyond wonderful, beyond perfect. Sure, they still had minor arguments at times...they had always been part of their relationship as they were both strong-minded individuals, but they only served to increase their respect for each other's thoughts and feelings. Troy had no regrets over the decision he and Gabriella had made to become a couple again that memorable weekend following her birthday. Their love for each other had only grown stronger and he'd only grown more and more sure of its endless nature...which is what had led him to plan this special day for the two of them.

Shaking himself out of his thoughts, Troy grabbed the handle on his door and opened it, coming around the car to open Gabriella's door for her too. Continuously amused and pleased by his chivalry, Gabriella stepped out of the car, beaming up at Troy with that beautiful smile he couldn't resist, before rising up on her toes a bit to give him a quick kiss on the lips. Troy grinned, wanting to kiss her more but also anxious to set this day in motion. Taking her hand, he walked to the back of the car and got out a basket, which held some food and beverages for the day before leading her down one of the piers to the boat slip. When they arrived, Gabriella looked up at him, confusion written on her face.

"Troy...this isn't your parents' boat? I know it's been a while, but even I remember what it looks like."

"You're right. This isn't my parents' boat..." Troy paused before continuing. "It's ours."

"What? Are you serious?!"

"Completely," Troy said, proudly eyeing the fine specimen of sailboat sitting next to them, before turning to see Gabriella's excited and awed face, taking it in. "If you don't believe me, check out her name."

Gabriella raised her eyebrows at him, giving him a questioning look before letting her eyes run along the boat until she saw the name, in dark blue letters, 'Ella.'

Gabriella's mouth dropped open when she saw it. She felt the tears rush to her eyes and she felt speechless for a moment. "You...you named it after me?"

"Yep," Troy said a bit sheepishly, "I hope that's not too entirely cheesy, but she's a beauty...you're a beauty...I don't know...I just didn't think any other name was better than that one."

"Troy...I'm...wow...this is amazing...you're amazing! She's really ours?"

Troy chuckled at her adorable reaction. "Yes. Bought her last week. I figured we could have lots of fun taking her out and taking our friends out and such. But, I figure we should get to take her on her maiden voyage. Come on," Troy finished, getting closer to the boat and helping her climb onto it. He climbed on after her, smiling as he watched her explore the boat, particularly the inner cabin. He made sure he had everything he needed prior to untying the ropes tethering the boat to the slip. Having done so, he backed them out of the slip, before leading them out of the marina cove and into the open water.

Once they were well away from the marina, Troy slowed them down so that they were just drifting along slowly on the gentle waves. Then, he opened the basket and began to take out the items he had brought along for their lunch.

"Peanut butter and marshmallow for milady," Troy said jovially, as he handed her the wrapped sandwich, "and peanut butter and jelly for me."

Gabriella grinned. "We're so ten years old, aren't we?" she joked, unwrapping her sandwich.

"I hope not," Troy exclaimed, screwing up his face in mock horror, "we definitely do things ten year olds should not be doing," he finished with a wink. He watched Gabriella unsuccessfully try to hold back a laugh and was soon rewarded with the sound he loved so much.

"I have no good response for that," Gabriella said after a few moments, opening her mouth and taking a bite of her sandwich.

"Because it's true…and because you can't keep your mind from thinking about some of those things I'm referring to," Troy responded slyly before taking a bite of his own now unwrapped sandwich.

"Sure you want to keep eating that sandwich, Troy? Aren't you a bit full already?" Gabriella teased, continuing after a moment when Troy sent her a look of confusion. "Of yourself?"

Troy's eyes narrowed at the jab. "Oh! Ha! Ha! You're hilarious…and defensive…you know I'm right," he said with an evil grin.

Gabriella bit her lip and shook her head back and forth in amusement. "Eat your sandwich, Bolton," she replied, taking another bite of her own and feeling pleased as she saw Troy do so a moment later.

They sat there for a few more moments of silence "So…do we have anything to drink?"

"Oh, yeah…sorry, Ella…just got…distracted," Troy said with a smirk, reaching into the basket and producing a bottle of champagne and two glasses.

Gabriella raised an eyebrow at this, the corners of her lips twitching. "Peanut butter, jelly, marshmallow, and…champagne?"

"Yep! Problem with that, Montez?"

"Noooo…"

"What? Our boat, our lunch preferences," Troy replied confidently, taking a moment to pop the cork on the bottle and pour some champagne into both glasses.

"I guess you have a point there, Mr. Bolton," Gabriella said sweetly, accepting the glass Troy was handing to her.

Troy grinned. "A toast," he said, raising his glass and waiting until Gabriella did the same. "To spending this beautiful day with my beautiful girlfriend and making a beautiful memory."

Gabriella stared at her boyfriend with amazement…amazement that he could say some of the sweetest, albeit cheesiest, things and just make her heart melt at the drop of a hat. Her smile widening, she moved her hand to clink her glass gently with his before taking a sip of the sweet, bubbly liquid.

Troy loved the look on her face right then. He loved how she made him feel that everything he did and said was right. He loved how content he felt when he could tell that she felt happy. He loved the way her delicate hand held the dainty champagne glass and how her rosy lips hugged the glass when she took her small sip of the liquid. Most of all, he just…loved her.

"You really are quite the charmer, Troy," she breathed softly.

Troy's lips curved up into another smile. "It's easy to be when I'm with you."

Gabriella felt her heart go a-flutter. This man…she just felt elated having him as her very own.

They continued to sip their champagne and eat for a little while. In addition to the sandwiches and champagne, Troy had produced two bags of chips and a few cookies for their lunch. Their conversation turned to day-to-day topics: work, events, family, friends, home issues, and the like.

As they finished eating, Troy got the boat moving at a steady pace once more and they enjoyed the feel of the wind whipping through their hair and the light misty spray of the water hitting them from time to time. Troy slowed them down once more as they entered a cove.

"Did you wear your swimsuit like I suggested?" Troy asked.

Gabriella raised an eyebrow at him and slyly pulled her shirt to the side a bit, uncovering her shoulder somewhat so that Troy could see the tie string of her bikini top.

"That doesn't help, Ella," Troy said slowly, eyes running over her entire shirt meaningfully.

"Oh…really? Well, I'll answer you more clearly then," she played along, pausing to meet his gaze before lazily reaching down and pulling her shirt up over her head, revealing the bikini top in its entirety.

"Ah…and…did you wear only the top of your suit?" Troy continued, his tongue darting out to lick his lower lip briefly.

Gabriella smirked at him as she slowly unbuttoned and unzipped her jean shorts and slid them down her legs, leaving her seated across from him in only her red bikini.

"And, were you just hoping to see me in my bikini?"

Troy chuckled. "As opposed to out of it?"

"Hmmm…that can be arranged."

"Oh," Troy said, feigning nonchalance, as he moved to anchor the boat, turning his back on his enticing girlfriend. "I was thinking we'd swim for a bit."

"Obviously. I love those light blue board shorts on you," Gabriella remarked.

Troy turned to smile at her over his shoulder.

"Of course, off would be good too…"

"What are you getting at, Miss Montez?" he asked in a low, drawn out tone, turning his head back toward the water and his task.

"Oh, nothing…you won't need your shirt though," she said casually, twisting a bit to look down at the water and skim her fingers across its surface for a moment.

Troy smirked, just as casually pulling off his shirt and tossing it down onto the padded seat without turning around. He felt her eyes upon him and expected to turn around and be met with her appreciative gaze. Deliberately taking his time, he made a comment about how cold the water might be. His comment was met with silence. When he turned around a few seconds later, his girlfriend was no longer seated where she had been. His eyes moved to the door in the center of the boat and to the stairs which led down to the inner cabin. Smiling to himself, he made sure the anchor was secure and walked over to the doorway, continuing at an even pace down the steps. The inner cabin contained a mini kitchenette area, a small restroom area, and a pull-out bed. That pull-out bed was currently occupied by his gorgeous girlfriend, lying on her side, her head propped up on one hand, eyeing him lustfully, her teeth attached seductively to her pouty lower lip, and her bikini currently thrown carelessly on the floor below. Troy's eyes raked over her entire lithe body appreciatively.

"Don't feel like going swimming?" Troy asked, humor tinging his voice.

"Not yet…but you should probably dive on in," Gabriella simpered.

Troy chuckled at the innuendo. "Oh, really? And, how are the waters today?"

"Wet."

Troy sauntered toward his girlfriend as they spoke.

"How wet?"

"See for yourself," she challenged, separating her legs such that one was still lying on the bed with one bent so that the knee was facing the ceiling.

Troy reached the bed and sat down in front of her. He leaned down and captured her lips with his own at the exact moment he also plunged one finger into her wetness, causing a loud moan to escape Gabriella's mouth. As it did, Troy took advantage and pushed his tongue in to mingle with her own.

Troy let his tongue lazily explore her mouth, tasting the sweetness of the champagne they'd just been drinking. He hadn't moved his finger since he'd plunged it into her moments earlier. Gabriella had let her head fall back onto a pillow and her hands had come up to run through his hair. Impatiently, she began to wriggle her hips in an attempt to send him a very clear message that she wanted him to get to work. Smiling into the kiss, Troy let his thumb graze lightly over her clit, eliciting another moan and hip buck from her. Still, Troy continued to only stroke his tongue against hers. Gabriella moved a hand down his arm, squeezing it, trying to again send him a message regarding her need. Again, Troy very deliberately let his thumb run back over her tiny nub with slightly more pressure, sending pleasurable shock waves through her.

The passion in Gabriella's kiss increased as her wanting did and soon Troy found her nipping at his lip, meeting his tongue stroke for stroke, and trying to win the battle for control within his mouth. Feeling his own want for her increase, Troy continued his own assault on her mouth but finally began a steady pumping of his finger in and out of her warmth, alternating this motion with the circular rubbing friction of his thumb on her clit. He brought his other hand, which he had previously buried in her long mane, down to cup her breast, his fingers teasing the nipple. Gabriella's pants and moans were interrupting the rhythm of their kiss now and Troy, wanting to hear her sounds echoing within the tiny room, moved his lips from hers and began to kiss her neck and nibble playfully on her earlobe. Gabriella's senses were becoming overwhelmed with pleasure.

"Troy," she moaned.

Hearing his name escape her parted lips spurred Troy on further and he inserted a second finger into her depths and began pumping both with more fervor. He moved his lips down to latch onto her nipple, swirling his tongue around the hard nub.

Gabriella's head was thrown back, eyes shut tight with the building intensity. She vaguely sensed Troy's lips leaving her breast and his body shifting, but his fingers continued their blessed motion and that was all she cared about. And so it was that as she was approaching her peak and her body was beginning to pulse and grip at his fingers, she was oblivious to his body's relocation to between her legs. And when she thought she was reaching the very height of her climax and then felt his tongue join his fingers in their purposeful mission, she gasped and cried out even louder, riding the waves of a splendidly intense and lengthy orgasm, her body continuing to shudder with his efforts before finally collapsing.

Troy eased himself from her as she lay there, body flushed, breathing unsteady, with a contented smile on her pink lips. He slid his board shorts off and climbed back onto the bed, poised above her, placing himself between her thighs once more, his hardness pressing against her wet opening. He lowered his head and brushed his lips against hers lovingly. Pulling back, he looked down at her beautiful face, eyes still closed.

"Ella," he said gruffly. "Ella…open your eyes, baby. I need to see you."

Languorously, she did as he asked, her deep brown pools meeting his intense blue. And, in that moment, he entered her, burying himself in her heat, and he watched her eyes widen and her mouth open as a cry of pleasure resounded from it. He leaned down and captured her lips once more, initiating a passionate kiss as he began his long, deep strokes. Her hips rose up to meet them as she wrapped her legs around his back, her hands moving to grip his shoulders. She felt the blessed tension building once more. Troy broke their kiss, continuing his steady thrusts, and watched her once more, keeping his own body in check as he wanted this to be about her for now. Knowing she was close, he brought one hand between them and flicked his thumb over her clit several times, pushing her over the edge.

When her body calmed down once more, Troy sat back on his legs, pulling Gabriella up with him, her legs still wrapped around his waist so that she was now straddling him in a seated face-to-face position. Troy ran his hands lovingly up her back and she wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him into an unhurried kiss. Troy buried his hands in her hair and tasted her sweet mouth again. Gabriella felt incredibly close to Troy in this position. She could feel him filling her completely, her heat wrapped fully around him. She could press her chest to his, his head to her own, his lips against her lips. They could breathe a shared breath in their close space.

Pulling back, Troy gazed into her eyes, the intensity of his feelings for her shining through those expressive blue orbs. Gabriella hoped hers conveyed her feelings just as well.

"I love you…so much…you're everything, Ella…everything…" he spoke breathlessly but firmly.

Gabriella's heart swelled with love for him. Words escaped her for a few moments as she stared at him with complete adoration and amazement at his openness with her.

"You're everything too, Troy. I love you," she breathed, before kissing him again.

Troy began to rock his hips slowly against hers as they sat there kissing. Gabriella mirrored his movements and the friction resulting from the motion began to stir her senses once more. She continued to communicate her want and enjoyment of her boyfriend, running her fingers up through his hair, sucking on his lower lip and his tongue playfully, detaching her lips from his and reattaching them to his earlobe, his neck, his jaw, and back to his lips once more.

Troy found his Ella completely intoxicating, breathing in her sweet floral scent and the scent of their lovemaking, feeling her body writhe against and cling to his, burying himself in her, being as close as two people could possibly be. He let his lips break from hers and trail over her forehead and nose and down her neck, taking his time with her sweet spots, hearing the pleasured sounds escape her mouth. Her arms loosened their grip around his neck and moved down his arms as his mouth trailed lower.

Gabriella let her arms drop and moved them behind her, hands resting on the bed, supporting herself as Troy's hands came around to cup and massage her breasts, pulling first one and then the other into his mouth, teasing her nipples with light flicks and twirls of his tongue. Using her arms as her support and unwrapping her legs from around Troy's back so that she could plant her feet on the bed, Gabriella began to move herself up and down Troy's length, her ignited fire now seeking more than just their rocking hip motions.

Troy groaned as she did so, feeling his control dissipating. Giving in to his need as well, he gripped her waist and helped her movements, thrusting his own hips upward to meet each downward thrust of her own. Panting together, they continued this fierce rhythm for a few minutes. Seeing Gabriella's arms beginning to shake, Troy pulled her back to him and lowered them down so that he was on top of her once more. Kissing her, he continued to thrust in and out of her wetness, his grunts mingling with her mewling cries. Her nails digging into his back and her legs once more around his waist, Gabriella clung to him, welcoming her bliss as well as his own when they both began to spasm and lose themselves to the sensations running through their bodies.

Lying there sated in the moments that followed, Troy pulled Gabriella to him into a spooning position, her back pressed to his muscular chest, his arms holding her to him. He leaned forward and brushed his lips across her shoulder.

"I meant it, Ella," he said softly.

"I know, Troy…I did to," she returned, just as softly, before they both allowed themselves to drift off to sleep.

* * *

A little while later, Troy awoke to find Gabriella no longer in bed with him, her suit no longer lying on the floor. He slowly raised himself up off the bed and pulled his board shorts back on, approaching and ascending the steps to exit the inner cabin. Soon after, his face was met with a light breeze as the surrounding blue water came into view. He heard gentle splashing coming from the side of the boat and looked over, a grin forming on his face.

"Come on in, babe! Water's great!" Gabriella called to him. She was swimming just a few feet away from the boat.

Troy checked the anchor once more before moving to the edge of the boat and diving in, surfacing next to his girlfriend, who he pulled toward him and planted a kiss on.

"Hey," she said huskily.

"Hey," he returned, meeting her gaze and dipping his head to taste her plump lips once more before turning and swimming in the opposite direction, enjoying the cool, lapping water against his skin.

Gabriella tilted her head up toward the bright blue sky, soaking in the heat of the sun.

Troy turned and watched her as she lowered her head and stretched her arms out in front of her to swim in his direction. He smiled as she reached him.

"So, Miss Montez, does the boat get your seal of approval?"

"It most certainly does, Mr. Bolton."

"Well, good," Troy said with a smirk.

They continued to swim for a little while before deciding they were pruning and climbing back onto the boat to dry off and then change. Troy donned a pair of khaki pants and a white button-up shirt he'd stored in the inner cabin. Gabriella changed into a cute lavender sundress she'd brought along. Having put on their dry clothing and settled themselves back on deck, Troy raised the anchor and turned the boat around so they could head back toward the marina. It was now late afternoon and the sun was sinking lower in the sky. They enjoyed the breeze off the water and just being with each other on this, their boat, another "their"…not his, not hers. They loved all things "their."

* * *

Getting back to the marina, they packed up the stuff they were taking back off the boat and secured it in its slip. They loaded up the car, but before Gabriella could climb into the passenger seat, Troy turned to her.

"Let's take the rowboat out to our island…for old time's sake," he said eagerly, eyes sparkling, seeming as though the idea had just occurred to him.

Gabriella smiled. "Okay. That sounds nice." She shut the car door she had just opened. Troy armed the car alarm and they turned in the direction of where the rowboat was tied up. Reaching it, Gabriella climbed in with Troy's help. He untied the boat and got in after her, sitting down, grabbing the oars, and beginning to row them out toward the little island. As they neared it, Troy continued to row around it.

"Troy, why not stop on the closer side?" Gabriella asked, confused.

"Oh, I just feel like going around to the back," he answered distractedly.

"Oh, uh, okay," she replied uncertainly.

Troy smiled an assuring smile at her, then placed his focus back on his rowing.

As they reached the far side of the island, Troy brought them in to the shore and helped Gabriella out after securing the boat, tying it to a large rock. Gabriella looked around. "Well, not much has changed," she remarked.

"You're right," Troy said, caressing her cheek with his hand and smiling down at her. "You still look every bit as beautiful on this island as you did when we were fifteen."

Gabriella's lips spread into a happy smile. "And you're still every bit as charming and sweet."

Troy chuckled. "Oh, you think so?"

"I know so," she answered confidently.

Troy leaned forward and placed a quick peck on her lips. "Then, have a seat facing the water please and keep your eyes in the direction of the boat for a few minutes."

"Okay," she said slowly, drawing out the word and biting her lip as she looked toward the rowboat and kept her eyes trained in that direction as she sat down. She heard some rustling behind her.

Troy glanced back at her several times as he walked toward the tree line so that he could retrieve the items he'd left there that morning. He unfolded the card table and chairs and set them up in the sand a little ways from the tree line. He covered the table with the tablecloth he'd brought and set down two tall candles in the middle of the table, lighting them as quietly as possible. Next, he set out plates, napkins, silverware, and glasses and dug into the cooler to bring out the food he'd stored there for their dinner. He had filled the cooler with as much ice as possible and it seemed to have worked as the food was still chilled, though most of the ice had melted. He removed the bowl of chicken caesar salad and the plate of fruit, cheese, and crackers, taking a moment to pull the Saran wrap from both before setting them down on the table. Finally, he pulled out a bottle of champagne, like they'd had on the boat with lunch.

Smiling, he turned toward his girlfriend, glad to see she was still keeping her eyes facing the rowboat as he'd asked. "Ella…you can turn around now, baby."

Gabriella grinned and inhaled slowly before twisting her body around in the sand to locate the direction of Troy's voice. Her smile grew bigger as she saw him standing next to a table laid out with food, lit by two tall candles, holding onto another bottle of champagne and grinning mischievously at her.

"Champagne again," he said, holding the bottle up toward her a bit, "but no peanut butter in sight," he finished, glancing over at the table meaningfully.

Gabriella stood up and brushed the sand off of her backside, striding toward him. "I wouldn't mind if there was," she said huskily, eyes sparkling as she reached her hands up and pulled his head down to hers so that she could engulf his lips with her own.

"Troy Bolton…you are just…too good to be true," she said, pulling back from him. "You are real, aren't you?" she asked playfully, poking him in the shoulder as if testing whether or not he was solidly there.

Troy laughed. "Yes…though happy to prove it to you further if you like," he teased, leaning down to kiss her once more before guiding her to sit down in the nearest chair as he went around to the other side, popping the cork on the champagne bottle and pouring some into each of their glasses. Having done so, he sat down himself and started dishing out salad for them both.

Gabriella plucked a strawberry from the fruit plate while he did so, sinking her teeth into it and savoring the sweet, juicy taste. She watched Troy from beneath lowered lids. He seemed intent on seeing his dinner plan through and Gabriella was touched at all of his efforts, from the boat surprise to this one. She loved this romantic side of him. This dreamlike island dinner was just one example, although she knew she loved just as much just coming home from a long day at work, putting on her pajamas and curling up next to him on the couch to watch tv. She loved doing the dishes with him, grocery shopping with him, brushing her teeth at the sink while he showered next to her…the normal day-to-day activities…because she got to share them with him.

"Afraid to try it?" Troy teased, breaking her from her reverie as he looked into her eyes and then down at her plate.

"Oh…no, babe. It looks great," she said with a smile, grabbing her fork and taking a bite. "Mmmm…I love Caesar salad."

"I know," Troy replied simply, taking a bite of his own salad.

"So, when did you arrange all of this?" Gabriella asked.

"This morning. I was hoping I hadn't left any evidence in the rowboat to clue you in on the ride over," Troy said sheepishly.

"Nope. I didn't notice anything," she assured him. "So, did you even see Chad today?"

"Nope," he replied cheerfully, proud of himself for pulling off his plans so far.

"I should have known," she said with a smirk, "Chad probably didn't wake up until we were out on the water."

Troy chuckled. "Probably not."

They continued to eat their salads, pausing at times to eat some fruit, crackers, and cheese as well. "Does anyone else know about the boat yet?" Gabriella asked.

"No. Figured you should know first. Plus, I didn't know if they would actually be able to keep it from you if I'd told them."

"Hmmm…when shall we take them out on it?"

"I don't know. Whenever you like, Ella. Maybe next weekend."

"Maybe. The weather's only going to get warmer. I'm sure they'd be into it."

"Of course, we'll have to behave ourselves if they're with us."

"Mmm…that will be hard," Gabriella flirted.

Troy groaned, reaching across the table with one hand and lifting her own to his lips briefly. "You, Montez, make me want to keep the boat our little secret."

"We could," she whispered back conspiratorially. "And, we could kidnap each other and no one would know where to find us."

"You...are an evil temptress…and you drive me crazy…and I love that about you," Troy said huskily, smiling as he entwined their hands that were resting on the table.

"I'm glad…you're the one who brings that out in me, you know."

"Oh? You don't talk like this with your dentist?" Troy asked playfully.

"Nah…he's not as hot as you," she teased.

"Well…that's lucky for me then, isn't it?" Troy replied with a throaty chuckle.

Keeping hold of each other's hands, they continued to eat with their free hands until they placed their forks down and took final sips of their champagne, smiling at each other through the flickering light of the candles.

The sun had continued to descend in the sky as they had eaten and was now lighting it with various hues of pink, orange, and purple. Troy looked around, taking this in as he gathered up the items on the table and put them away in the cooler. So did Gabriella, noticing through the trees that the colors and light were much stronger on the other side, as anticipated. That was the side she knew they had their photos from years ago taken on.

"Troy, can we take a walk and catch the rest of the sunset from the other side?" she asked hopefully.

Troy glanced through the trees briefly, fidgeting a bit. "Sure," he said, looking back at her and forcing a smile through his nerves.

Gabriella sensed that something was off at that moment, but didn't dwell on it, happily hopping up from her seat as she watched Troy stand up slowly.

Seeing Gabriella tilt her head at him questioningly, he smiled once more, holding his hand out so that she could take it before beginning to walk with her toward the water line and then around the island in the direction of the other side. Troy tried to remember to keep breathing. He had known she'd want to see the sunset from that side…had planned accordingly. He knew her well. Therefore, he wasn't exactly surprised to find himself walking next to her at this moment. He was just…trying to remember to breathe.

Right before they were about to round the bend that would show them the stretch of beach on which they had such good memories, Troy tugged back gently on Gabriella's hand. She looked back up at him, raising her eyebrows and scrunching her nose in confusion.

"Wait, Ella…" Troy paused, clearing his throat. "Please…just…wait right here for a minute. I have…one more surprise," he finished, meeting her eyes, searching them for agreement.

Gabriella's initial reaction was to respond playfully that she hoped the surprise didn't involve getting sand in all kinds of uncomfortable places or to assure him that he didn't need to give her any more surprises as this day had already been so perfect, but something in the seriousness of his gaze stopped her and she merely nodded, a small smile curving her lips to further confirm her agreement.

He met her smile with a shaky smile of his own before squeezing her hand once and then letting it go. "Okay, just, um…I'll call your name in a few minutes to join me. Sound good?" he asked, eagerness in his voice once more.

"Sure," Gabriella responded softly.

Troy smiled at her and leaned down to brush his lips against hers gently for a moment before turning and walking around the bend and out of her sight.

She stood staring after him before turning to stare out at the water. She bit her lip. 'What was he up to now? And, why were the butterflies picking up in her stomach?'

Troy walked onto the familiar beach he'd stood on just this morning, looking forward and making sure all was still in place. He removed the matches from his pocket and lit the torch lights he had pushed into the sand earlier that day. Surveying the scene and feeling pleased with it, he put the remaining matches back into his pocket and reached a hand into his other pocket, fingering the gift within. Taking a deep breath and running the words through his head he'd been trying to organize all day, he moved to place himself in the right spot. Looking around once more, he gathered his courage and called to her.

"Ella! Come on around!"

Gabriella turned at the sound of his voice, staring once more at the spot he had disappeared from minutes earlier. Taking a deep breath, for a reason she was not quite sure of, she willed her legs to move and began walking in the same direction he had.

As she rounded the bend and Troy came into view, her breath caught in her throat, her heartbeat sped up considerably, her eyes began to water, and her legs felt more than unsteady. There in front of her stood her boyfriend, smiling at her lovingly, hopefully…but he was standing between two flaming tiki torches, behind a slew of rocks spelling out a message in the sand, a question…

"I thought since I'd had such good luck with my question here last time, that this would be a good place to ask you this one," he began, with a slight nervous chuckle. "Figured I'd do without the hangman though," he continued with a wry smile.

Gabriella gave him a shaky smile, still struggling for air.

Troy moved to stand in front of her, taking both of her hands in his, gaining courage from the squeeze she gave his hands with her own. He looked down into the dark brown pools of her eyes, currently shining with unshed moisture, and took in her slightly quivering lip as well.

"God, you're beautiful," he breathed, momentarily lost just in gazing at her lovely face.

Gabriella could not move her eyes from his, her lips parting slightly at the intensity of his last statement.

"Do you remember what I said to you at Sharpay and Zeke's wedding reception?" Troy asked softly.

Thinking back to the memory that had stuck with her from that night, Gabriella nodded her head, resulting in a soft smile from Troy.

"The thing is…I was being truthful. I have always figured you'd be the most beautiful bride this town…this state…this world, for that matter, will ever see…certainly the most beautiful I will ever see. But that's not all. It's not just that I've pictured you, in all your beauty, walking down an aisle…" Troy paused to take a small breath. "It's that I've pictured you walking down that aisle toward me. I want to be that lucky groom that gets to marry the most beautiful bride, the most beautiful woman, inside and out, I have ever known."

"Troy…" Gabriella began, through a sniffle, happy tears threatening to spill from her eyes.

"Wait," Troy urged gently, "There's more…I just…Ella, you need to know that you are my world. You have been for a long time and I wouldn't have it any other way. I think everything we've experienced over the years, as friends, as lovers, as…so much to each other, I think it's all led us here. I love you, with all of my heart. I've never loved anyone more. I feel so blessed each morning that I get to wake up with you, each night I get to fall asleep next to you, and every other moment in between. And, I never want to lose that. I want to grow old with you. I want to raise a family with you. I want to declare before God and everyone that I am yours and only yours, always have been and always will be. And…I want to call you my wife..."

Troy trailed off at this and held her gaze as he slowly sunk down onto one knee in the sand. He let go of her hands so that he could produce a small black box from one of his pockets. He took a moment to glance back over his shoulder toward the rocks behind him. Turning back, he saw that Gabriella was also looking at his message in the sand.

The rocks, so carefully arranged, with beautiful orchids sprinkled amongst them, their colors being enhanced by the spread of color across the sky right now and the flickering of the torches behind them, had made Troy's intentions clear before he'd ever started speaking. 'Will you marry me?' they spelled out boldly, she presumed because the words would stand out more clearly, and would hold in the breeze this way, than if he had tried to scribble the words into the sand with a stick as he had years ago. The question was clear and Gabriella had known her answer before he'd started speaking…but then, she'd known her answer for a long time, her heart just waiting for the question.

Gabriella's lips curved into a loving smile and she gazed back at Troy adoringly. Still kneeling in front of her, he held the tiny black box up in front of her with one hand, while opening it with the other. Gabriella gasped, her hands quickly moving up to cover her now open mouth. Once open, the box revealed the most beautiful ring Gabriella had ever seen. A shiny platinum band, split on both of its upper sides into two platinum branches lined with channel-set round diamonds, supported a glittering 1.2 carat round brilliant center diamond in a cathedral basket setting. Gabriella's eyes moved from the ring to Troy's face to the ring and back. Troy couldn't stop the grin that formed on his face at her reaction. He gathered he had chosen well. As her eyes met with his again, he licked his lips briefly and let the words finally leave his mouth…

"Gabriella Anita Montez, will you do me the incredible honor of becoming my wife? Will you marry me, Ella?"

He smiled up at her hopefully, feeling pretty confident about her impending answer, but still feeling his heart thud in his chest anyway.

"Yes!" Gabriella choked out through a sob, stunning Troy by dropping down onto her own knees in the sand in front of him, throwing her arms around his neck and crashing her lips onto his.

Reacting after a moment, Troy brought his other knee down to the sand and moved his arms around her, snapping the lid closed on the ring for the moment to keep it safe. Pulling her tightly to him, he responded to her kiss passionately, vaguely noticing some wetness on his cheek that may have been from her eyes or his own or some mingling of both in that moment, as he felt happier than he had ever felt before.

Breaking apart several minutes later, their foreheads still pressed together, Gabriella sniffled happily and they both tried to catch their breath as they opened their eyes, blue and brown communicating just how much they both wanted this.

Troy cleared his throat a bit, rubbing one hand up and down Gabriella's back lovingly. He pulled his head and body back slightly to see her face more clearly. Flipping the black box open once more behind her back, he brought it around between them, grinning widely. "So, I take it you want this then?" he said in a deep, humor-laced voice.

Gabriella grinned back at him, nodding her head enthusiastically, her eyes moving to take in the sparkling item once more. Troy released her so that he could remove it from the box, placing the empty box back in his pocket. He then took her left hand in his own left hand, holding the ring poised in front of it.

"You're sure, right?" Troy asked, his eyes searching hers, his lips twitching upward. "You are not allowed to change your mind," he informed her firmly.

Gabriella laughed at his instruction before smiling up at him and nodding with certainty, replying in a sincere tone, "Never…I can't change my mind or my heart" adding a moment later, "same goes for you too, you know."

Troy's lips finished their upward journey hearing her words. "Neither can I, Ella…wouldn't want to," he said, sliding the ring smoothly onto her ring finger with his right hand. He let go of her hand then, as she brought it up in front of her face, eyes mirroring the sparkle of her gorgeous new ring as she twisted her hand from side to side, watching the fading sun's light catching it a bit. "You're stuck with me now, Montez," Troy added with a smirk, feeling lighthearted and filled with hope and excitement for their future.

Gabriella giggled, her eyes catching his as she reached out both arms to encircle his neck once more. "You do realize that once we're married you're going to sound like you're teasing yourself if you continue to refer to me by my last name."

"Mmmm…true. But, Gabriella Bolton…I do like the sound of that," Troy said huskily, placing his arms around her waist once more.

"Me too," she responded sweetly, her eyes drifting down from his eyes to his lips as she leaned forward.

Troy leaned in to meet her lips in a lingering kiss, his tongue running across her lips after a moment and readily being granted access. Gabriella brought her hands up and ran her fingers through his hair, allowing her thumbs to also gently brush over his ears as they deepened the kiss.

They enjoyed the taste of each other, the feel of each other's warmth, and the familiar stirrings going on in their bodies as their passion grew. Soon enough they found themselves lying down in the sand, removing material impediments from between them, wrapped up in each other's embrace, and Gabriella no longer cared where sand clung to her. All she cared about was him and their love and their future. As she held him to her, bringing him into her very being, she watched the torch light flicker, throwing shadows across his now bare skin.

Troy noticed the flash of her ring out of the corner of his eye as she brought her hand around to caress his cheek, running her thumb down until it hung teasingly from his lower lip before leaning up and capturing his lips with her own.

They moved as one, the breeze floating over them, the sound of the nearby water once more providing a soothing atmosphere for them. Feeling closer than ever, they found their pleasure together, savoring the experience of the entire day, the experience of the entire past 10 months, and the experience of the last 12 years in those intense moments.

They continued to kiss through the labored breathing that followed; their bodies gradually relaxing but their own emotions still as strong as ever, they felt a need to continue to communicate through their kisses and caresses their love and joy. Eventually forcing themselves to separate and regain a normal breathing pattern, they lay there on the sand next to each other, limbs tangled, chests rising and falling, pulling their clothing up over them for warmth. Troy looked at Gabriella's elated but sleepy face, leaning down to place a kiss on her forehead lovingly as he tightened his hold on her. "Sorry you pretty much missed your sunset," he said softly.

Gabriella laughed quietly against his chest. "I'm not…this was just a bit better," she teased.

Troy smiled at this, his breathing slowing down as fatigue took over. Gabriella smiled, hearing his soft snore begin and snuggled up more comfortably into his side, letting sleep overtake her as well.

They awoke a while later, darkness surrounding them but for the light from the torches. "Guess we should head back to the car, so we can get home," Troy remarked.

"Will we be able to see well enough?" Gabriella asked, looking out at the dark water dubiously.

"Yeah. We'll be good. The moon's fairly bright tonight plus I brought a light to hook onto the rowboat so it would light our way. I kind of figured we'd be out here until at least after sunset, so…" Troy trailed off, shrugging his shoulders as they both sat up wiping sand from themselves and pulling their clothes back on.

"Okay…good thinking," she complimented, receiving a grin from Troy in return.

"What about the cooler and chairs and such?" she asked, as he helped her stand up and went to grab the torches so they could use them to walk back around to the boat.

"I'll come back tomorrow and gather everything up. We'll just take care of getting ourselves back home tonight."

"Sounds good to me," Gabriella said contentedly, walking next to Troy, sneaking giddy glances at him and down at her hand as they made their way around the island.

Troy's lips curved up into a smile as he noticed her doing this. "So, I'm still awesome?" he joked.

Gabriella laughed. "Yes. Very much so," she responded, getting lost in his eyes once more and leaning up to kiss him briefly.

Making their way back to the rowboat, Troy set up the light he had told her about, stuck their torches in the sand and extinguished them, and then held out his hand to her.

"Come on, beautiful fiancée of mine…let's go start the rest of our lives."

Gabriella could not wipe the silly grin off her face as she took his hand and climbed into the boat. Troy followed suit after untying the boat.

"Okay, adorable, strong, and manly fiancé of mine, do get to rowing. I'm anxious to get home so I can see what it's like to wake up in the morning engaged."

Troy chuckled and set his arms in motion, moving them steadily away from the island and toward the marina…toward the rest of their lives together…toward happiness and hope and love.

* * *

**AUTHOR'S NOTE:** Le sigh! (as a friend of mine would say) Hope you enjoyed the steamy and the sappy in this chapter. Troy is rather dreamy, isn't he? LOL! Now, you may be wondering if this is the end, since it kind of works well as one. Hmmm...yes and no. Here's the thing...I do have an epilogue in mind for this story, possibly a two-part epilogue, as I've had this idea in mind for how I might have some full circle closure. Technically, this could do that, but I don't think I can be done with them yet. ;-)

That being said, I don't know when it might make its way up here. The weeks ahead are looking kind of eventful for me...plus once a certain movie makes its way into theaters (bet you can't guess which one...lol), I will probably only be able to be found there...in theaters...seeing it and single-handedly keeping the mouse house in business. ;-) But, anyway, I think this is kind of a lovely way to leave off where an epilogue will be a nice addition at some point but isn't exactly necessary in the 'Oh, no! I have no idea how this is going to turn out' kind of way. Hint: Their rowboat will make it safely to the other side...there's no crazy drama planned there. LOL.

I also have a few other oneshots/stories I've begun to write the bare bones of so any of them could potentially get published first...depends on "my muse" as they say. So, I guess the take-away message here is that doing a story alert, or better yet, if you like my writing style, adding me to your author alert, will ensure you don't miss the epilogue updates and other story updates from me in the future. And, if you have already done this, thank you very, very much...it means a lot! What else means a lot? Your reviews! So, if you'd continue to be awesome and leave me your thoughts on this chapter, it would be wonderful...and though I still can't promise anything, just know that I do find them motivational. ;-) Thanks, all! Till next time!

Smiles, hugs, and warm fuzzy wishes for us all,

Mel


	26. Epilogue Part I: Happier

**Looking Back to Move Forward**

SUMMARY: Troy and Gabriella have been friends for 11 years, best friends. They've even been more, but circumstances years ago led them to end their romance and revert back to just being friends. But will one special weekend of reminiscing about their lives and the memories they've shared remind them of the one thing that they're both missing? M for adult situations/subject matter and sexual references/depictions.

DISCLAIMER: I do not own these wonderful characters (or any part of the HSM franchise)...I just love them like the rest of you. :-)

**AUTHOR'S NOTE:** First, thank you, thank you, thank you for all the sweet reviews! I am so glad that this little idea and writing experiment has been enjoyable to more than just me. As I indicated last time, things have been busy...in great ways...great HSM-filled ways...great "I've been in the same room as Efron/Hudgens/Tisdale/Bleu" ways...and I don't mean just the local movie theater. Hee! Though I haven't been as close as some lucky bums I know...who really should have fabulous FF inspiration now. ;-)

Speaking of the theater though, if you haven't yet seen the third movie (by choice, that is...don't smack me if it's not open in your area yet...I'm sorry...but it'll be worth the wait...grin), stop reading this now and go see it. LOL! Okay, maybe read this and then go see it. Anyway, I am not about to spoil anything for anyone, but I just want to say that I am rather in love with HSM 3...is it possible to be in love with a movie? Well, I do just love it so very much. It is my fave of the three, though I'm always going to love each for different reasons. And I'm sure I could sing the soundtrack in my sleep. Hopefully, I don't...hmmm... ;-) So, yeah...shouldn't have gotten started with the gushing there...anyhoo, here is part one of the Epilogue. I hope you enjoy it and it brings you some smiles and warm fuzzy feelings. :-)

* * *

Epilogue Part I – Happier

Gabriella placed the final photo down onto the layout she'd just finished in the scrapbook album. She smiled as she heard Troy walk up behind her and place his hands on her shoulders before leaning down to give her a kiss. She turned her head so that her lips could meet up with his for a few brief moments. As their lips parted, both of their eyes turned back to the pages in front of them.

"I think it's good we'll be starting a new scrapbook soon. This one will be busting at the seams if we keep adding to it," Troy remarked.

Gabriella grinned sheepishly. "Well, I confess I haven't been as selective as you were when you started it."

"Well, that's because you're 100 times better at it than I am and infinitely more patient with those annoying little sticky squares." Troy nearly growled the last part of his statement, remembering the headache of finding those things stuck to his fingers, clothing, table, and floor long after he'd finished his work on the book.

Gabriella laughed, thinking of how she'd witnessed Troy's attempt to help her on some of the first few layouts they'd added since that memorable birthday weekend, until she had just taken over the updating on her own. "So, Mr. Flattery, take a look and tell me what you think. I've finally gotten caught up. I know I let a lot of the photos sit for a long time but, well, life's been busy," she said with a smirk, adding teasingly "I blame you."

Troy chuckled, pulling out the chair next to her at the kitchen table and sitting down to start turning through the scrapbook layouts she'd completed. He flipped back several pages. "Hey, you did a good job with being selective here."

"Well, we do have the professional album so I just wanted to show some of my favorites in here. I couldn't very well not include a layout of this time in our history, now could I?"

"I'd hope not. I found the day kind of memorable," he teased.

"It was, Troy. It was perfect."

"You were perfect," he said quietly, watching her face as she beamed back at him, every bit as radiant as on that day.

"I'll never forget the look on your face as I walked down that aisle toward you."

"I'll never forget that moment either, how beautiful you looked, how awed I felt that you agreed to be mine, and how I basically didn't breathe until you were standing next to me."

Gabriella giggled. "My blue-faced groom. Now that would have been a sight."

Troy grinned, his eyes moving over the pictures she'd chosen. They landed on the group picture toward the center. "Chad's hangover shows," Gabriella remarked with amusement.

"Hey! What can I say? He told me he was going to drink enough for both of us since I had to be of sound mind and body for my wedding day or you'd kill him."

Gabriella laughed. "He had a point!"

Troy's eyes shifted to the other women in the picture. "And, Sharpay," he groaned. "I still can't believe you let her change her bridesmaid dress."

"Hey, Troy! At least all she did was add a pink sash and some sparkles to it. She kept the main lavender base."

"I guess it could've been worse," Troy admitted. His gaze next fell upon a picture of them doing their first dance as husband and wife. "I meant it, what I said that night when we danced," he said, his voice taking on a sincere tone.

"You remember that?"

"Of course, Ella."

Gabriella smiled, remembering what he did say that day…

* * *

"_So, Mrs. Bolton, lovely wife of mine, no regrets, right?"_

"_Only that I have not yet ditched these shoes," Gabriella joked, wincing slightly, but smiling at her new title._

"_Well, ditch them my love…I'll just…carry you."_

_Gabriella giggled. "Oh, really? And will you carry me anytime in our lives I need you to?"_

"_Yes, even if you grow as round as your great aunt Rita," Troy remarked, his eyes darting toward the woman in question and back at his wife._

"_Hmmmph! Maybe I'll just have several pieces of cake tonight then," she teased._

"_Whatever makes you happy."_

"_Whatever, huh? Be careful, Bolton. That could be a whole lot of things."_

"_That's okay," he said softly, "if you're happy, then so am I."_

"_I am happy," she said sincerely, gazing into his eyes. "This is the happiest day of my life."_

_Troy smiled widely. "Well, I'll have to work on that."_

"_What?" Gabriella asked, confusion written on her face._

"_Well, it can't very well be all downhill from here, now can it? I want to make every day happier than the one before for you. It'll be my lifelong mission."_

"_Even if that means I grow as round as Aunt Rita or decide Sharpay's onto something and choose to only wear pink from now on?" Gabriella said with a mischievous smirk._

"_You'll always be the most beautiful woman in the room to me no matter what," Troy assured, a loving smile on his face._

_Gabriella felt like her face must be glowing with her love for this sweet man. "I do believe I made the right choice in marrying you, Mr. Bolton," she said happily, fingering the hairs at the nape of his neck lovingly._

"_Glad to hear it, Mrs. Bolton," he returned, pulling her even closer to him and leaning in to brush his lips against hers._

"_Tease," she said with a smile as he pulled back seconds later._

"_Later, Ella," he promised, voice husky and an undeniable twinkle in his deep blue eyes._

_Gabriella was glad he was holding onto her firmly, as he still had the ability to make her weak in the knees._

* * *

"It's a good thing you meant it," Gabriella said, pointedly looking down as Troy turned through the next few scrapbook layouts, passing by their honeymoon layout (a lovely Hawaiian getaway), the layout of them at Kelsi and Jason's wedding, and the layout from Sharpay's pink-infused baby shower.

"I don't mind the pink," Troy remarked with a smirk, continuing to flip through the scrapbook pages.

"Smart man," Gabriella returned, amused. She looked down to see the layout Troy was currently smiling at…

* * *

"_How long has it been?"_

"_Only a minute, babe."_

"_Will it ding when it's done?"_

_Gabriella glanced over at Troy with amusement on her face. "It's not a kitchen timer, Troy. It's pee on a stick. I don't think it has any chiming effects."_

_Troy grinned sheepishly at her. "Oh. Sorry. Just impatient."_

"_I know," she said softly. "Me too."_

_They sat in silence another ten seconds or so until Gabriella spoke again._

"_Kiss me."_

_The corners of Troy's lips twitched and he quirked an amused eyebrow at her._

"_Really, Troy. It'll help the time pass and distract us somewhat."_

"_Oh…well…good to know our kisses serve such a useful purpose," he replied wryly before smiling briefly and then leaning in to connect his lips with his wife's. Gabriella had a point. He was always able to lose himself in her kiss, to be taken to some calming, wonderful place by it. _

_As Troy's mouth moved lovingly over his wife's and hers did likewise, one of his arms snaked its way around her back as the other moved his hand so that he could push her hair behind her ear and gently rest his hand on her neck, his thumb periodically caressing her jaw as they continued their kiss._

_As they pulled back slowly, Gabriella looked over to see the clock showed that a couple more minutes had passed._

"_Ding," she said softly, her gaze meeting Troy's once more as they exchanged nervous smiles._

_Troy slowly released her and Gabriella stood up and turned to walk toward the door. Troy stood up too and gently grabbed her hand, smiling down at her reassuringly as he did so. Gabriella smiled back at him lovingly and squeezed his hand._

"_It'll be fine either way, babe," Troy said confidently. "If it's meant to be this time, it will be."_

"_I know, Troy," Gabriella returned gratefully, smiling up at him one more time before turning into the bathroom. Taking a breath, Troy followed her._

_He watched her eyes widen as she looked down at the test stick she had left sitting on the sink counter and then he watched her hand instinctively fly to her mouth as she let out a small gasp. Then, he watched her gingerly reach for the stick and pick it up, her eyes never leaving it. He saw the huge smile slowly start to form on her face and felt his heartbeat grow louder in his ears._

"_Troy," she said softly, turning to him and holding the small, white plastic stick up in front of him. "You're gonna be a dad."_

_Troy looked at the word staring at him from the piece of plastic. "Pregnant." Then, he processed what his wife had just said to him and a huge smile broke out onto his face. "Oh my gosh! Wow! Ella…wow!" he stammered, the grin never leaving his face, before reaching forward and scooping her up into his arms into an exuberant hug and twirling her around a bit. Gabriella laughed with glee. _

_After a few moments, Troy stopped his movements and gently put her down. "Oh, crap! I'm sorry. I shouldn't…spin you guys around."_

_Gabriella giggled. "Troy, that's silly...we…like it," she said with a grin, testing out the use of "we" and rather liking it too._

_

* * *

_

"I can't believe seven months have already passed," Troy remarked, looking at the pictures they'd taken that day of the positive pregnancy test and of Gabriella's early, pretty non-existent, belly, followed by the first ultrasound photo.

"I can," Gabriella returned wryly, causing Troy to smile.

"I know, babe. I can't even imagine…but you've handled it all so well."

"I guess you've handled all my craziness pretty well too."

"I have no idea what you're talking about," Troy responded, eyes sparkling and lips twitching as he tried to hold back a smirk.

"Oh? So, none of this rings a bell?" Gabriella asked cheekily, flipping through the next few layouts, showcasing the different months of her pregnancy.

Suddenly, Troy burst out laughing. "I can't believe you took pictures of the food."

"Why? It has been memorable."

"For me more than you…" Troy put in, stopping as he felt his wife elbowing him warningly in the ribs.

"Ahem. I realize this. You should be glad I'm showcasing all of your efforts here. I really appreciated your three-hour search for a pork bbq sandwich for me that one night. It meant a lot. It was sweet. So, I took a picture. I wanted to remember that. It was one of the first times you had to deal with my crazy cravings and you reacted perfectly," Gabriella finished with a smile.

"Always glad to be of service," Troy returned, punctuating the statement with a quick peck on his wife's lips before turning back to flip through the remainder of the layouts, the last one being of their baby shower, which had just taken place the previous weekend.

"She's already spoiled, huh?" Gabriella remarked with a smile.

"Nah…just very…pinkified."

"Pinkified?" Gabriella shot back with amusement.

Troy shrugged. "You know of a better term?"

Gabriella laughed. "I guess not. Sounds like the name of some pop album title or something," she mused, earning a grin from her husband.

"So, did you get the changing table put together?" Gabriella asked, remembering what Troy had been working on before he'd come out to join her in the kitchen.

"Yep! It was easier than the crib. Wanna come look?" Troy responded, standing up from the table and holding his hand out to her to help her up.

"Sure!" Gabriella responded, accepting his hand and standing slowly. "And, then we think that daddy should see about feeding us."

"Oh, should he now? And what do my princesses want for dinner?"

"We're thinking that pork bbq sandwich looked pretty good."

"Of course," Troy replied wryly.

Gabriella leaned up to give him a sweet kiss. "We love you…"

Troy leaned in so that his face was just a few inches away from his wife's. "Or do you just love pork?" he whispered playfully, earning him a smack on the arm and a pout from Gabriella, who swiftly turned her back on him.

Troy laughed softly before moving to wrap his arms around her from behind, his hands coming to rest on the large swell of her pregnant belly, the swell that represented his daughter's temporary home, one she'd be leaving soon enough…and Troy couldn't wait. He couldn't wait to really meet her…to hold her in his arms and tell her just how much he loved her and her mommy.

He buried his head in his wife's neck, pressing soft kisses there. "Just kidding, Ella…just kidding," he murmured. Coming around so that he was once again facing her, he saw her lips twitching as she fought the smile that threatened to form. Troy slid his arms around her and pulled her to him as much as possible, resting his forehead against hers, his eyes meeting her own. "I love you both too, with everything I am…and I intend to keep you both as happy as can be," he said softly, seeing the glistening of his wife's eyes at his sincere words.

Gabriella really didn't know how she could be happier, though she suspected her amazing husband could somehow always find a way to make her so. Running her hands up over his shoulders and bringing them to rest around his neck, she urged his head forward just slightly and pressed her lips to his in a lingering kiss, communicating her happiness, contentment, and love to him. And, as was always the case, theirs was a two-way conversation.

Pulling away after several minutes, Troy smiled down at his wife and then slowly eased back and knelt down before her. She had watched him do this quite a few times in the past eight months, but it still warmed her heart to see it. Troy carefully lifted her shirt a bit and placed a soft kiss on her belly. He then placed his ear gently against the smooth skin and made a show of listening to his daughter.

"What's that, sweetheart? You think daddy should treat us all to some thin mint cookie ice cream too? Well, anything for my girls."

Gabriella smiled lovingly down at him, running her fingers through his hair gently. "Come on then, daddy. Let's go look at your handiwork, see about those good eats, and then see if mommy might still have any energy left to thank you for making her so happy," she said with a soft smile.

Troy returned that smile and stood up slowly, taking her hand in his and leading her down the hall toward the nursery, looking forward to the rest of their evening together, to soon introducing his daughter to the nursery they'd created for her, and to seeing the happiness on both of their faces for many years to come.


	27. Epilogue Part II: Blessed

**Looking Back to Move Forward**

SUMMARY: Troy and Gabriella have been friends for 11 years, best friends. They've even been more, but circumstances years ago led them to end their romance and revert back to just being friends. But will one special weekend of reminiscing about their lives and the memories they've shared remind them of the one thing that they're both missing? M for adult situations/subject matter and sexual references/depictions.

DISCLAIMER: I do not own these wonderful characters (or any part of the HSM franchise)...I just love them like the rest of you. :-)

**AUTHOR'S NOTE:** Okay, if you are waiting on E2L, don't smack me. I promise it is on the way. I was just recently inspired to finally get this epilogue finished. For this story, it really could have been considered completed in 11-08. But I always had this cheesy little vision in mind for how I planned to end it in a full circle kind of way. So, really, take it or leave it but I wanted the closure for myself. :) But hopefully, it'll make you smile just "catching up" with these two, so to speak. I never intended for it to take this long to get to that "completed" status, but this chapter has been in draft and then been lost due to technical horrors then been re-drafted and lost again because I obviously didn't learn the first time (grrr), then been re-drafted and put aside as my muse moved in other directions. It is pretty interesting for me though to just "look back"...haha...I am cheesy. ;) Since starting this story, I have had two children, moved across the country, experienced losses, work changes, and tons of happiness too. I have also met my real life muses, our Troy and Gabriella, Zac and Vanessa...and neither disappointed me in person. And Zac felt so warm and muscular and lovely...ahem...he is growing up so nicely. I will move on now. Since this story has been pretty M at times, I fear it will be removed at some point now that FF is canvasing for such. If so, I am looking at alternative homes for it. I'll post info on my bio when such are established. Also, feel free to PM me if it disappears. Anyway, here are the final, final words of this story. Thank you for embracing it over the years. May you have the kind of happiness they do. xoxo

* * *

_Previously:_

Well, everything! But this, in particular:

_Gabriella stared out at the serene water, lapping against the dock gently. She wondered if she'd ever stand at the end of this dock, watching the sun set or looking at the stars above with the man she loved, a man who was her soul mate, who she would vow to spend the rest of her life loving. She thought of looking on and seeing her grandparents do these things in this very same spot when she was just a child. She closed her eyes and just breathed in and out, listening to the water and the breeze and feeling as though they were standing here with her._

* * *

Epilogue Part II – Blessed

He paused a moment as he watched her from the doorway. She held the baby to her and swayed back and forth, singing softly. A moment later, she noticed him standing there and sent a sweet smile his way. He approached her carefully and quietly.

"Is she asleep?" Gabriella whispered, with a slight tilt of her head, indicating she did not want to move the baby to check.

Troy bent slightly to see the small head lulling on his wife's shoulder, eyes closed peacefully, tiny mouth slightly parted. "Yes," Troy whispered back with a smile, "You've still got it, Ella."

Gabriella began to shrug and then thought better of it as the baby girl stirred in her arms. "I'll bet her grandpa could have done just as well."

Troy's eyes sparkled in the moonlight shining into the room. "Man, it's still weird getting used to being called that. When did we get so old?"

Gabriella scrunched up her face at him. "Speak for yourself, geezer. I'm forever 29 and don't you forget it."

"Oh, well, you know forgetfulness comes with old age," Troy shot back playfully.

Gabriella rolled her eyes in response. Then, as he'd done so many times in their years together, Troy recovered beautifully. Leaning in, he placed a soft kiss on her temple and whispered in her ear, "You don't look a day over 21, actually."

Pulling back, he saw the beautiful smile that graced her face. Then, he saw her lean in as well and bent to hear her response. She placed a gentle kiss on his eyelid and whispered, "Remind me to call and make you another eye doctor appointment."

Troy chuckled softly and grinned down at his wife, who wore her own mischievous grin.

"If I remember..." Troy responded, with a light shrug.

Gabriella just smiled in response. Then, she swayed with the baby a couple more moments before crossing quietly to the crib and gently laying her down in it.

Troy moved to stand beside his wife and they both stared down at the precious being below them. "Goodnight, Hannah."

"Sweet dreams," Gabriella added.

Then, with one last look, they walked hand in hand out of the room and went to relax in the living room and await their daughter and son-in-law's return from their much deserved date night.

* * *

16 years later...

Hannah sat looking out the window, lost in her own thoughts. How Jeremy could be out on a date with that fake, self-centered Janine was beyond her. She also fully admitted to herself that she wished she were the one on that date with him. They'd been friends for several years now, but she had only recently begun to see him in a new light - a light that made him appear suddenly very attractive. And she'd already seen him as witty, intelligent, and fun. He'd been a great friend to her these past few years and she didn't want to mess that up. But she did secretly hope they could one day (preferably soon) be more.

"Hey, Hannah Banana!"

"Hey, grandpa." She turned with a smile, seeing one of her favorite persons in the world enter the room and sit down on the recliner opposite the sofa she was currently curled up on.

Troy studied his granddaughter for a moment. He had stood in the doorway watching her for a few minutes before entering the room. He could see the melancholy air about her and wondered what had brought it on.

"You've got a lot on your mind tonight. Wanna talk about it?"

"Umm, I don't know, grandpa. It's boy-related."

"I was a boy once."

Hannah couldn't help but laugh at her grandfather's humored expression. "I doubt you were ever as clueless as the boys I know, grandpa."

Troy chuckled. "Oh, you'd be surprised."

"We both were, darling," Gabriella put in, entering the room and coming to stand behind her husband. She rested her hand upon his shoulder and he lovingly grasped it with his own, smiling up at her and receiving a lovely smile in return.

Hannah watched this exchange. She always enjoyed seeing the love her grandparents so clearly felt for each other and so readily expressed. It gave her hope and made her feel safe and comforted.

"So, how did you guys get a clue then?" she asked curiously.

"Well, has your grandmother ever shown you our scrapbook?"

"I've seen a lot of the scrapbooks, grandpa."

"Yes, but your grandfather means _our_ scrapbook, the one that really tells our love story. I'd love to share it with you, Hann. I'll just go get it from our room.

"Okay, grandma. I'd like that."

* * *

As Gabriella entered her room, the phone began to ring. She made her way to the nightstand and grabbed it, hearing her daughter on the other end of the line.

"Oh, hey Dee. What's up, honey?"

"Hey mom. I just wanted to check in on Hannah. She seemed down earlier. I suspect it has something to do with a disagreement she had with her best friend. You remember Jeremy, don't you?"

"Yes, dear. Of course. He's a sweet boy. Do you know what they disagreed about?"

"I'm not entirely sure. Hann doesn't think I'm the coolest these days, so she doesn't exactly give me all the details, but I think I overheard something about him going on a date with a girl named Janine.

"Hmm. Do you think she was showing friendly concern or do you think she's realized she likes him as more than just a friend?"

"You saw that one coming too?" Dee asked, humor in her voice.

Gabriella let out a light laugh. "Oh, yes. When he was last here with her, it seemed like their relationship could be changing."

"Yeah. That's what I suspect."

"Well, we'll see if we can't get it out of her."

"Thanks, mom."

"Of course, sweetheart. Do you want to talk to her for a few?"

Dee paused before answering. "No, that's okay, mom. She'll only groan about me checking up on her if I do."

Gabriella smiled. "You're a good mom, Dee...really good."

Dee smiled at the other end of the line. "If I am, I have you to thank. I learned from the best, mom."

Gabriella felt momentarily choked up.

"Thanks, Dee. I love you, sweetheart. Now, you and Stephen go enjoy that fancy resort. Share our anniversary wishes with him again, okay?"

"Okay, mom. Love you too."

Having hung up the phone, Gabriella paused and thought for a few moments about just how blessed she felt. She and Troy had found each other at an early age. They had had 40 wonderful years of marriage so far. 41 next month. They had three wonderful grown children, their daughter, Deirdre and their sons, Jackson and Caidan. They also had five amazing grandchildren, the eldest of which was currently sitting in the living room with her grandfather.

She smiled, thinking about Hannah as a baby, as a toddler running around, as an elementary student singing at her school's holiday concert, as a boy band loving pre-teen, and now, as a beautiful, intelligent young lady, who was apparently interested in her best friend as more than a friend. 'Well, she's come to the right place,' Gabriella thought to herself with a quiet little laugh.

Locating the scrapbook, Gabriella left the bedroom and headed back toward the living room. As she was about to turn into it, the doorbell rang. "My, my, we're popular," she muttered to herself good-naturedly. Looking out the peephole of the door, she found herself thinking this night was bound to be interesting.

"Why, hello Jeremy!" she greeted as she swung the door open. "What brings you here? Want to come in?"

"Umm, yes, ma'am, thank you."

Gabriella stepped back from the doorway, allowing him space to enter.

Hannah looked in the direction of the front door, not believing her ears. 'No...he couldn't be here,' she thought. And then she saw her grandma step aside and in he walked, turning in her direction and giving her a tentative smile as he located her.

Troy and Gabriella watched the exchange, sending one another a conspiratorial look.

Gabriella turned her attention back to Jeremy. "Well, as you can see, Hannah's in the living room with her grandfather. Go on in if you like."

Jeremy smiled thankfully and nodded, turning and heading into the living room and sitting down on the sofa next to Hannah. "Hey," he said pleasantly to Hannah, who just gave him a quizzical look. "Hello, sir," he greeted Troy, who nodded and returned the greeting.

Gabriella bustled into the room a moment later, four glasses of iced tea on a serving tray in her hands. She set the tray down and handed out glasses and coasters. "Jeremy, we were just about to share our scrapbook with Hannah. I think you might like it too."

"Oh, uh, okay, ma'am."

Gabriella set the scrapbook down on the coffee table such that it faced her granddaughter and her friend. She sat down on the floor behind the table and flipped the book open.

Troy grinned as he saw his long-ago message come into view.

"Wait! You made this scrapbook, grandpa?"

"Try not to sound so surprised, Hann Banan. You'll wound an old man, here." She just rolled her eyes at this, to which Troy chuckled. "Yes, I made it, or at least the beginning half."

"And he did a wonderful job," Gabriella complimented, sending a warm smile to her husband.

The four began to look through the scrapbook, recounting the stories and memories from the pages within. Troy and Gabriella emphasized how they'd been friends first before realizing they wanted to be more. Hannah and Jeremy were both careful to keep their eyes trained on the pages in front of them. Troy and Gabriella shared a look as they saw the pink she was fighting to keep from her cheeks. It matched Jeremy's. Oh, this was going to be easy!

"So, wait. That little island you guys like to go picnic at when we go sailing ...that's where you two first kissed and first started dating?" Hannah asked with a grin when Troy and Gabriella had explained that layout.

"Indeed, it is," Troy answered proudly. "It's also where I later proposed to your grandmother."

"Such a romantic, grandpa," Hannah teased.

"Guilty," Troy joked back.

A bit of pink stained Gabriella's cheeks, even after all these years, as she thought back to that memorable night and making love on their island...which they had done a time or two since as well. "Yes, but that's getting a bit ahead of ourselves," she chimed in, refocusing herself and moving on to the next layout.

"Wait, that's here, isn't it?" Jeremy asked, recognizing the cabin and lake behind it.

"Yep, that it is," Troy confirmed.

"This used to be my grandparents' cabin and they left it to me," Gabriella explained. "It's been our home ever since."

"Couldn't ask for a better one," Troy said with a smile, which Gabriella returned, squeezing his hand.

"You may recognize the next place too, guys," Troy continued.

"Oh, Madison Gardens," Hannah said confidently. "I love it there."

"Yeah, she loves the skaters," Jeremy chimed in.

"So do we, dear...and it's special because that's where we first said 'I love you' to each other...after your grandfather tried to get us killed."

"Hey now...that's a bit dramatic. We were having fun. Just don't try to ice skate on a pond unless you know it's safely frozen."

"And preferably wear ice skates."

Hannah and Jeremy exchanged an amused look at this. "Wow, that's kind of awesome, man," Jeremy said, addressing Troy.

"I know!" Troy agreed, reliving the exhilaration of those moments and enjoying momentarily connecting with the younger man.

Gabriella gave him a chiding look.

"Ehrm, I mean, it was maybe not the smartest thing...but it still turned out well for us."

Gabriella smiled and nodded her head, acknowledging the truth there.

"Well, you guys look great...so happy," Hannah observed.

"Thanks, Hann!" Gabriella said, turning to the next layout.

"Wait, you guys have a beach house too?" Jeremy asked.

Troy and Gabriella looked at each other uncomfortably for a moment and then Gabriella addressed the question. "Ehrm, no. That house belonged to some family friends of ours. Hann, you know the Baylors. Well, Mrs. Baylor's parents used to own that place. We all went there with them for a fun weekend." 'That was still the story and they were sticking to it,' they thought.

Reaching the prom layout, Hannah scrunched up her face in confusion. "Wait. You didn't go with each other?"

Troy and Gabriella shook their heads regretfully at their granddaughter. "We reached a point where we weren't really sure about our futures and we decided we should just move forward as friends," Gabriella explained, feeling there wasn't a need to delve further into detail than that at this point.

"But why?" Hannah asked. "That seems silly. You seemed so in love. You are so in love."

Gabriella locked eyes with Troy. She should've known Hannah would want to know more. Still, that wasn't appropriate information for now, if ever.

"Sometimes," Troy chimed in, "something makes sense in the moment even if it seems unreasonable to others or when looking back. We are human, Hann...imperfect. We knew how to be friends though. We never stopped being that."

"And you obviously got back together," Jeremy said, half statement, half question.

"We did. We realized after several years..."

"After your grandfather made this scrapbook actually..."

"...that we were always going to be best friends whatever the future held and it was okay to still want more, that it wouldn't be a detriment to our friendship but only another better level to it, to our relationship as a whole."

"It's just a shame you had several years where you could've been together but weren't."

"Well...maybe so. Fact is we can't go back and change that now and we did continue to grow in our time apart too, but the truth is that if we had just talked it through sooner, then yes, we might not have missed out on some time together."

"Well, thank goodness you figured it out," Hannah said.

"Indeed," Troy agreed with a chuckle, giving his wife a loving peck on the forehead.

The group flipped through the remainder of the scrapbook, looking over all of the happy years Troy and Gabriella had spent together. As they did so, Hannah and Jeremy inched closer to and shared more smiles with one another. When they'd all shut the book, Gabriella looked out the window.

"Oh, my. Troy, let's go make sure the canoe's tied up right. I think it might storm tonight."

Troy gave her a knowing look but rose and helped her do the same before placing a hand at the small of her back and walking with her out to the back deck and then down toward the dock.

Hannah and Jeremy followed them outside, calling after them asking if they needed any help. They waved them off, saying they were fine.

"So, why aren't you on your date?" they heard Hannah ask as they continued on toward the water.

Down at the dock, Troy pulled Gabriella into his arms, kissing her sweetly. "You're the best friend a guy could ever ask for, you know."

Gabriella laughed lightly. "You're the best husband a gal could ask for."

They stood smiling, arms wrapped around one another. "Shall we spy?" Troy asked after a moment.

"Of course!"

Grinning, they turned to see their granddaughter and her best friend standing close to one another and speaking seriously up on the deck. Eventually, they hugged and then pulled back, smiling shyly at each other.

"We should..." Gabriella began, turning back to face the water.

"Yeah," Troy agreed, turning with her and placing his arm around her shoulders. The sun was dipping down in the sky now, spreading it's multi-colored rays in long arcs. "I doubt it's going to storm tonight," he murmured into his wife's hair.

She tilted her head up and smirked at him. "Never can tell," she said cheekily.

He shook his head at her slightly but his eyes twinkled. "You know best, Ella."

"Hm," she mused. "I know this," she said, squeezing him to her with the arm she had around his waist.

They stood in silence for a long while, just listening to the water lapping around them and feeling the breeze cooling slightly as the night came on.

"Thank you," she breathed, breaking the silence.

"For?" Troy asked softly.

"For loving me all these years and for letting me love you too. For all the memories we've made and all the ones we have yet to make."

"The pleasure's been all mine."

* * *

Looking down at her grandparents on the dock, Hannah felt warm reassurance. This is how their love story had turned out. Maybe hers could turn out that way too. As, from the corner of her eye, she saw her best friend staring in the same direction she was and then felt him shift next to her, hesitantly placing his hand over hers on the wood rail, she knew it could.

The end.


End file.
